The Key to Bible Prophecy - 8

Christian lady asked welcome to to the point we give the bishop sometimes to see what's it. You have to look back today. David Jeremiah looks to be an ancient book of Daniel.

For the most accurate calendar of coming for physical things.

Some hours David introduces his message. The key to Bible prophecy, and thank you for joining us for the weekend additional Turning Point today were going to talk about Bible prophecy, and it's all based upon the book of Daniel in the Old Testament. Let me tell you why Daniel so important we can study his prophecy and then we can see it fulfilled in history over and over again throughout this book. One of the reasons why Daniel is so hated by those who don't believe in the word of God is simply this, the prophecies are so accurate there fulfilled so minutely that there's no way to explain it except for God that is intolerable to those who do not believe the Bible. It's encouraging to all of us who do and will learn more about that as we begin the weekend right now there is a verse in the New Testament, which is a key to the understanding of the meaning of this book. I'd like to ask you to turn your Bibles there so that you can see that I don't want you to forget to write it down because it is a verse which puts the book of Daniel. In its proper setting and helps us to understand what this book is going to teach us during these next weeks in Luke chapter 21 and verse 24 we read these words and they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive onto all nations.

And Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles. Now here's the phrase until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Men and women.

The book of Daniel is a book about the times of the Gentiles. Daniel is the prophet of the times of the Gentile. He unfolds for us in graphic vision, the rise and fall of the Gentile pagan kingdoms of his day, and he looks with a far vision to all of the unfolding of the world empires until the day of Jesus Christ. Daniel gives to us the prophetic calendar for the world and in essence he is not dealing so much with his own people. The Jewish people. In fact, God never refers to the Jews in the book of Daniel as my people.

He always speaks to Daniel and calls them five people for at this particular point in the history of Israel. God has set aside his plan for the people, the Jews, by way of introduction, I need to share with you that this book of Daniel has been more assailed by the critics of the Bible than any other book in all of the Scripture.

It has been under attack more than the book of Genesis and its first three chapters, and even though the book of Isaiah is often the battleground of critics does not hold a candle to the voluminous writings which have been leveled against this book now.

The key to the denial of Daniel by the critics is simple. It is found in the fact that, according to them, prophecy is an impossibility. There is no such thing as foretelling events to come.

Therefore, a book which contains predictions must have been written after the predictions that already happened and that's what the critics say. They say that Daniel did not like this book during the exile, but that a pious Jew wrote it instead.

Later on, perhaps during the time of the Maccabees and that the book is not prophecy but it is fiction written, like prophecy, in order that it might be more interesting to the readers and so men like well housing in Canada for our driver claim.

This work was not written in the exile was centuries later.

I need to tell you that these critics follow the lead of the fellow who lived in 233 A.D. by the name of he studied under the world-famous Neoplatonic philosopher by the name of Plotinus.

He thought along with his fellow Neoplatonist that their great enemy was Christianity and sold during his life time. Porphyry wrote 15 books any title the whole series of books against the Christians and certainly they were these bitter volumes gain for him the reputation of being the most rapid and wicked of all of the enemies of the faith. What do we do with the criticism of the book of Daniel. Well I think the first thing we need to do is to examine the testimony of some of his contemporary explain what I mean. During the time when Daniel was living in writing his prophecy. There was another fellow who was a contemporary of his and his book is right next door to Daniels and that guy's name was Ezekiel and interestingly enough, Ezekiel talks about Daniel and he says that Daniel was a real Betty was alive that he was legitimate and so if were not going to believe Daniel then we got a problem. Ezekiel to because Ezekiel says Daniel was real, let me show you where he says it turning your Bibles to Ezekiel chapter 14, I will begin reading in verse 12, the word of the Lord came unto me saying Son of Man when the land set up against me by trespassing grievously then will I stretch out my hand upon it, and will bring the staff of the bread of it and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it. Now notice though these three men no and Daniel and Joe were in it, they should deliver only their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord. Verse 16. Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God. Verse 18. Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God. Verse 20 though Noah and Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter. They shall deliver only their own souls by their righteousness. Now Ezekiel says that Daniel is just as real as Noah and just as real as Job.

And he's just as legitimate a character as those other two. So if we don't want to deal with Daniel.

We can't deal with Noah either and we can deal with Job either. And Ezekiel's in trouble turn in your Bibles to the 28th chapter of the book of Ezekiel where God is speaking to the Prince of Tyre and verse three of Ezekiel 28 he says behold, thou art wiser than Daniel. Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel and I take this to mean that God is addressing Lucifer the son of the morning who came to be Satan are great enemy and when he wanted to think of the wisest man he knew on earth he did not say Solomon. He said, behold our wiser than Daniel, which shows what God thought about Daniel so we have the testimony of a contemporary of Daniel by the name of Ezekiel Ezekiel's living and working over here in Daniel's living and working over here and Ezekiel says Daniel is for real.

He's legitimate. He's credible. The second thing I would say to our critics. Is this I would examine the current evidence that has been uncovered even during our lifetime. During our day. I want to clinic attacks a book like the book of Daniel. What he does is first of all, he discredits it he determines not to believe it.

And then he goes everywhere hunting for contradictions in all how the critics have loved to play with the book of Daniel. They are even into the first and second verse before they begun to find trouble. For instance, in the first and second verse we read a reference to Nebuchadnezzar taking the vessels from the temple at Jerusalem and putting them into the treasure house of his God, and the critics of the book of Daniel say they never heard of such a thing in secular history. It was an unknown custom something that was never done. Even in secular history.

They couldn't find a reference to, and yet within the last quarter. Essentially, an inscription was discovered to be effective.

Nebuchadnezzar always put his choices spoils in the house of his God just was a peculiar custom that he had.

I am the first chapter there is a reference to a fellow by the name of Ashkenaz. You'll find it verse three and the king spoke on the Ashkenaz, the master of his UNIX that he should bring certain of the children of Israel the King seat and the princes and the critics make a great deal out of this man Ashkenaz, the master of UNIX. They said nobody ever heard of him.

You can find his name in any secular history. He's an unknown. This is another figment of Daniel's imagination, but during the last quarter of a century. The name Ashkenaz is been found on one of the monuments of ancient Babylon, which is now in the British Museum and this is what it says quote Ashkenaz master of UNIX in the time of Nebuchadnezzar." You can get more plain than that limited to just one other illustration in the fifth chapter of the book of Daniel, one of the most striking examples of the defeat of the opponents of the word of God is to be seen in this chapter, where Belshazzar king of Babylon is said to have been slain during a feast on the night of the city's fall. Now secular historians have named the king of Babylon as Mama knighted us. In other words, when you read secular history. Secular history says that the king of Babylon when it fell, was a man by the name of Mama knighted us. But the Scripture says it was Belshazzar. So we've got an obvious contradiction.

And if you're a critic of the Bible. Naturally, the Bible is wrong and you're right.

They said that Mama and I just was not present at the capture of the city and that he was not killed, but taken captive and kindly tweeted he lived in retirement as a private citizen and they said here is a clear case of error in the Bible really going to do with well very interesting. No one had any idea how these two counts could be reconciled until Sir Henry Rawlinson discovered an inscription on a cylinder on the Euphrates River in the Valley fair containing the facts needed to clear up the problem.

Listen carefully. There were two kings of Babel during Daniel's later life a father and a son Mama knighted us, who occupied a stronghold outside the city had made his eldest son, Belle Shatzer, Regent, and he allowed him to use the royal title Belshazzar was slain while defending the city map and I just was spared. Thus, even the apparently insignificant detail explains two verses in the book of Daniel, but I want you to see notice chapter 5 in verse seven. Chapter 5 in verse seven became quite allowed to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers and the king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon.

Whosoever shall read this writing and show me its interpretation shall be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold about his neck. Now notice and he shall be what the third ruler in babbling. Why, because you already have two you have now denied us in Belle Shatzer: Regents and Daniel couldn't possibly get higher than the third ruler and so in the 29th verse of this chapter we read that they commanded Belle Shatzer and they close. Daniel was scarlet and put a chain of gold about his neck, he made a proclamation concerning him that he should be what the third ruler in babbling and so the critics not only are wrong, but when we find out why they're wrong. It explains the text we didn't understand before we found out they were wrong so we have the current study, which helps us to deal with the book of Daniel, but I want to give you the final blow to the critics as it relates to the book of Daniel.

I want you to turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 24 and there in the 24th chapter of the book of Matthew and verses 14 and 15 and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come. When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of who, by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whosoever read is let him understand now my Bible happens to be a red letter edition of the Bible and you know that this is in red and you also know that Jesus Christ is the one who's making the statement, what is he say he saying back in the Old Testament Scripture in the ninth chapter of the book called Daniel. Daniel the prophet wrote about the abomination of desolation and what he said is what I'm talking about right now. Jesus Christ said that Daniel was for real. So I'm interested in the contemporaries and Ezekiel's a big help and I'm interested in current study, and that encourages me but my friends when Jesus Christ is Daniel's for real that's all I need. All I need is that one verse of Scripture to tell me that the book of Daniel is legitimate and I can go into that book and dig out. It's true with the full confidence that I've got God's word in my hand.

Daniel even though the critics rejected is a legitimate canonical book of the Old Testament. Now that's the test of it and that's all were going to talk about that whole subject you're going to hear from people.

If you go to a secular university, even in Christian schools and liberal Christian schools that Daniel may be in question.

I want to tell you it's not a question Daniel solid.

It's okay. I would take just a few moments by way of overview to try to give you the theme of the book of Daniel is very important when you study a book to get some kind of a picture of where the books going before you start actually studying the text verse by verse. If I had to say what the theme of the book of Daniel is it will not be hard for me to say that the book of Daniel has as its theme the universal sovereignty of God. There are two or three key passages that teach this and the whole book is an illustration of it turning your Bibles to the second chapter of Daniel and verse 28th. Daniel chapter 2 and verse 28, notice this phrase, but there is a God in heaven. I've underlined that in my Bible and blue. There is a God in heaven and faxed in the second chapter 5 different times.

The phrase the God in heaven is used to describe the sovereign God.

In verse 18 in verse 19 in verse 28 in verse 37 and in verse 44 we read the phrase the God in heaven. In fact, in the second chapter and verse 45.

If you look carefully you will see that this God in heaven is called the great God in verse 47.

He is called the God of God's. And in verse 37 of chapter 4, he is called the King of heaven. The book of Daniel has a high and lofty view of the sovereignty of God.

It says in this book that there is a God in heaven that he is the great God that he is the God of gods that he is the King of heaven, but I want you to notice the second key verse in the fourth chapter that ties together what God in heaven has to do with you and with me in Daniel chapter 4 and verse 25. At the end of the verse. This phrase, the most high ruler in the kingdom of man and give it to whomsoever he will else to put those two phrases together. There is a God in heaven, and the most high ruler in the kingdom of men and he giveth it to whomsoever he will and now that's illustrated many times in the Bible it states take a look at a couple of because will come to these as we study the book in the first chapter and in the first two verses in the third year of the reign of Joy or Kim, king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Jerusalem, and he proceeds it. Now notice in the next verse says, and he took the city. No the next verse says, and the Lord gave Joy Kim, king of Judah into his hand. Nebuchadnezzar thought he'd captured the city. He didn't know that God gave it to them. God did for the most high ruler in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will have been turning your Bibles to the second chapter and verse 37 and the dream being interpreted by Daniel.

He's telling this interpretation of the King in verse 37 he says this vowel okaying the Arctic King of Kings for the God of heaven hath given the kingdom and power and strength, and glory how to Nebuchadnezzar that wicked despotic King come to the throne of Babel and well it's simple but God of heaven gave it to the most high ruler in the kingdom of men putting on the throne.

He didn't.

He's responsible been turning your Bibles to the fifth chapter and the 18th verse for another illustration. Daniel is now speaking to the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. Bell says her and he says all about King the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar by father a kingdom and majesty and glory and honor. So he's telling Bell says of the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar that his grandfather, who was the great despotic King of Babylon was only there because God gave them the kingdom.

Now turn back to chapter 4 in verse 17. This matter is by the decree of the watchers and the demand by the word of the holy ones to the intent that the living may know that the most high ruler within the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will and set it up over it. What the basest of men. You say how in the world. Nebuchadnezzar, that wicked old man ever come the power of God's in charge will sometimes God even uses the basest of man to carry out his will.

Were going to study a little bit later on in this book, a man by the name of Cyrus the king of Persia and the Bible says in Isaiah 4428 that Cyrus the wicked king of Persia was the shepherd of God he did know anything at all about God when he was a tool he was God's battleax if you will, in turn in your Bibles to chapter 2 in verse 20, and Daniel answered and said, blessed be the name of God forever and ever for wisdom and miter.

His and he changes the times and the seasons, he removes kings and he said about King's he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to those who know, understand, and we have to say what you trying to teach us. Daniel and Daniel would say to us. I'm trying to tell you that as a man of God. I lived through the role of 14, I lived through the rule of Bell Sasser and I lived through the rule of Nebuchadnezzar and I live in the world of Darius the Mead and Cyrus the Persian for 60 long years. I saw kingdom's rise and kingdom fall and I want to tell you that through it all. There's one constant thing that you can't deny that is that there is a God in heaven, and he rose in the kingdom of man and he's in charge.

What Daniel would teach us if will study it in the right way is this, that the kingdoms of this world are passing away, and the kingdom of heaven is coming the past and throughout the world. The most high rate of and I don't know if you can get all of the practical application of that when I would tell you what it does for me, as I see this old world reeling and rocking on its axis and all of the craziness that's going on all over the place once in a while I hear people say, what happens if someone gets carried away, pushes the button and the whole well if that happens, it will only happen because the God in heaven lets it happen and if he lets it happen. I want to hear them. Amen we don't have any right as Christians to run around this world and frenzied activity. Staying up walking the floor at night wondering what's going to happen because the God in heaven the most high ruler in the kingdoms of men and he's in charge and I want to say one other thing about his rulership and that's this that in the province of time during the times of the Gentiles, while the Babylonian kingdom is involved in. Then, while the median kingdom is involved in the Persian kingdom in the Roman kingdom, and all of the other kingdoms of the earth. They are just illustrations of the frailty of mankind and the fickleness of human government to demonstrate that there's only one king, who can ever rule and rule forever and ever. And that's the King Jesus and one day he's coming back to this messed up world and he's going to set up his kingdom and it will never again be like it is now.

You shall rule, and he shall reign forever and forever and forever. Now when we watched Daniel in the midst of the turmoil of his time he came into battle and when he was about 16 years of age, and he stayed through all of the captivity for 70 years till he was 86, 87 years of age.

He was a ruler in the Babylonian kingdom. He was a ruler in the median kingdom in the Persian kingdom. He was at the top of all of those dynasties and he saw what God was doing. For instance, he watched God work on all Nebuchadnezzar you know Nebuchadnezzar was as ruthless as Napoleon and Mussolini and Hitler and Stalin, all wrapped up together.

He was a despot. He was a terrible terrible man we give little clue about him in the fifth chapter and verse 19 in chapter 5 in verse 19. We waited for the majesty that he gave him all people and nations, and languages trembled and peered before him, he would he slew and whom he would, he kept alive, and whom he would. He set up and whom he would he put down. In other words, Nebuchadnezzar was a kinda guy. Like you were God is killed the electric and microchip.

He worked in his kingdom on the basis of rim. It was a powerful man in all of the men and women of his time feared him, even as the great Führer was feared during his time, but I want to tell you some God do the job on all Nebuchadnezzar. And when you see him the next time. In this text you. Been a fine him out in the country on his hands and knees eating grass like a box with the dew of heaven upon his body debase to the very level of an animal fact God did such a work on him is what us in a few moments, that he almost got straightened out. And then there's all Bell Sasser's grandson Bill shares or didn't have the same problem that Nebuchadnezzar had Nebuchadnezzar's problem was pride.

Bell says his problem was presumption and we read about him in the fifth chapter. Also in verse 23 says here that he lifted up himself against the Lord of heaven as unbelievable.

He lifted up himself against the Lord of heaven he thought he was God. He was so presumptuous as to compare himself with the God of heaven. Then one night God sent him a message that he wrote it to them specially we read about him at the end of this chapter that he died verse 30 and that night was Bill shares of the king of the Chaldeans slain, and then you can read about Darius the Mead in chapter 5 and the reference to Cyrus in chapter 6 and verse 28. Think of it Daniel the prophet watched God do all of this he saw him deal with Nebuchadnezzar and when he got done with him. He brought embellish as early watched him deal with him and when he was done here came Darius the Mead and God dealt with him and when he was done here came Cyrus.

In fact, there's one of the most amazing scriptures in all of this book, which says Daniel continued on to the first year of Cyrus. In other words, he started back in the Babylonian kingdom when he came in as a vassal slave under Ashkenaz is a eunuch of the king, and he watched through all of that 70 years of captivity of the people of Israel and during all of that exile is one king came and went and another king came and went. Daniel just stayed and watched God work in the kingdom of men he saw behind the scenes as to what God was doing during all the troubles of the nation from the king's insanity and the murder of his successors during the whirling intrigues the MBs in the plots of the persecutions this man. Daniel stood like a pillar amidst the flowing sands because the sovereign God of the universe was the sovereign God of his heart is life were going to learn many things as we study this book together were going to see prophetic things that will startle us as we read them along side of the newspaper were going to take a look into how God has wonderfully and almost perfect fashion fulfilled the prophetic things that we understand were going to see prophecy that takes us out into the future and tells us of things to come. Men and women. The lesson we need to learn from this book more than any other lesson is this that there is a God in heaven and that that God in heaven ruler in the kingdoms of men and one day that God in heaven is going to set up his kingdom on this earth, and he will be the King of Kings and the Lord of lords for ever and ever telling.

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