The Key to Bible Prophecy - Part 1

Going tonight will be limited to sometimes to see once again you have to look back.

For example, the basic calendar of coming prophetically is illegal pleased with the book of Daniel today. Jeremiah begins the series that handwriting on the prophecies of missing that was David uses his powerful message to my will. Thank you so much for listening and thank you for joining us as we open the calendar up for the month of February and today were going to begin what is one of my favorite and most exciting studies in the exposition of the book of Daniel. If you listen Turning Point. We been on the air now for 30 some years and we try to teach the Scripture we teach from the New Testament and the Old Testament we try to have a balanced diet for our listeners and we we do a lot of prophecy because the Bible is one fourth prophecy sold one fourth of what we do should be prophecy to one of the great prophetic books and probably the greatest prophetic book of the Old Testament, at least in my estimation is the book of Daniel and today were to talk about the key to biblical prophecy will have a little general kind of discussion about that and then on Wednesday will get started with the verse by verse exposition of the Old Testament book of Daniel we need to get started in our first lesson. The kingdom Bible prophecy of Daniel since the early days of our churches. Some of the most stories of the Bible are found in this book. All of us can remember the first time we were treated to a good Sunday school teachers version of Daniel in the lion's and all of us can remember vividly the flannel graph stories that pictured the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace as we grew older. Some of us studied the great beast of the map, you could measure and try to interpret its prophetic meaning we remember the stirring challenge of the handwriting on the wall which is a part of this book.

As we have grown and are love prophecy. Most of us have had some opportunity to delve into the 70 weeks of Daniel which are chronicled for us in the ninth chapter. All these familiar portions of this book. Call us to read it and understand it. Make us want to know more about what it teaches. 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 in 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 unto 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 Gentiles. 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, Sir Isaac Newton, the great scientist who discovered the law of gravity wrote in his book entitled observations upon the prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John B's word he said whoever rejects the prophecies of Daniel does as much as if he undermined the Christian religion which so to speak is founded on Daniel's prophecies of Christ and Bishop Wescott declared that no other book of the Old Testament have so great a share in the development of Christianity. Paul's prediction of the antichrist. Bishop Wescott said point back to provisions of Daniel and John's Revelation is largely based on Daniel. The apostle John is the Daniel of the New Testament and the book of Daniel is the Apocalypse of John of the Old Testament and the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation stand and fall together.

So to ignore the great prophecies of the book of Daniel, and to put them aside leaves us without any knowledge of the prophetic word concerning the things to come. Now I need to point out that these prophecies in the book of Daniel were given at a time when the nation of Israel was set aside nationally when the times of the Gentiles began and they give a long view of the centuries, down to the end, the book of Daniel is the key to the book of Revelation in the New Testament and anyone who would purport to understand the last book of the Bible must spend much time in the book of Daniel is quoted more than any other book in the book of Revelation. I believe that Dr. Schofield is right when he says that Daniel is the indispensable introduction to New Testament prophecy use distinctly the profit of the times of the Gentile.

Now if you're looking for an outline of the book. It's very simply outline chapters 1 through six deal with history and chapter 7 through 12 deal with prophecy. Someone has said it this way. Chapters 1 through six. Give us Daniel revealing God's secrets to the kings and chapter 7 through 12, give us the Angels revealing God's secrets to Daniel one through six is history. Seven through 12 is prophecy. Now let me give you a brief clue to the understanding of the book. If you tried to read the book and study it as if it were written chronologically so that each event follows upon the other. You will find it very confusing for it doesn't work that way and we will have to take some time. Along the way to show you the chronological layout of the book of Daniel by way of introduction, I need to share with you that this book 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, 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 Daniel is a sore spot for a liberal. It is an embarrassment to him and so he levels all of his energy to try to destroy his credibility. 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 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 claimed that this work was not written in the exile, but centuries later.

I need to tell you that these critics follow the lead of a fellow who lived in 233 A.D. by the name of this man porphyry study for a while under a fellow by the name of origin in Caesarea Palestine and it is thought that one time during his studies he even confessed faith in Jesus Christ.

However, he left the school of origin did this porphyry to make his way to Roman impact capital city. He studied under the world-famous Neoplatonic philosopher by the name of Plotinus and he became a passionate disciple of this man and his teachings got a hold of his life. He was a diligent student distinguished by great learning and now with a gift for historical and philosophical research. He became a polytheist and that is, he began to embrace many gods and to worship many gods and he thought along with his fellow Neoplatonist that their great enemy was Christianity himself during his life time. Porphyry wrote 15 books and entitled a whole series of books against the Christians and certainly they were these bitter volumes game for him the reputation of being the most rapid and wicked of all of the enemies of the faith. Now, porphyry had a knack for research. He wasn't just an ignorant critic.

He was an intelligent critic and so he went back and researched all the original documents that he could get his hands on for the purpose of trying to destroy the basis of Christianity and one of his favorite targets was the book of Daniel, and he did everything he could to prove that this book was not written by Daniel, but that it was written during time around 165 BC when the Maccabean period was in play and that all of the events which the book of Daniel prophesied were literally written after they already had come to pass the whole sordid things that porphyry was a spurious live spawned off 400 years after it was supposed to, and all of the modern critics for our driver and all the rest of them all they have done is rehashed old porphyry's lie about the book that would come up with any neutral criticism. They just take porphyry and reworking and lay them out for us and were supposed to believe that they've done their homework. You say to me pastor, Jeremiah, what do we do with this.

We can spend the whole time talking about whether Daniel is real or not and whether it's legitimate or not, were not going to do that but we need to take a few minutes just to say a few important things about this whole matter of the criticism of this book we don't have anything to worry about, but it's important for you to know some of the things you want to know.

By way of introduction, as we begin our study in this prophecy.

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 contempt. 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 and that he was alive and he was legitimate and so if were not going to believe Daniel then we got a problem. Ezekiel to because Ezekiel's as Daniel was real, let me show you where he says turn in your Bibles to Ezekiel chapter 14, I will begin reading at 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 mine 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 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 no 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 is just as legitimate a character as those other two so we don't want to deal with Daniel. We can't deal with no one either and we can't 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 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 the whole thou art 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 and Daniels living and working over here and Ezekiel says Daniels. For real. He's legitimate.

He's credit. 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 critic 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 aren't 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 Matthew could measure 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 yet within the last quarter. Essentially, an inscription was discovered to the effect that Nebuchadnezzar always put his choices spoils in the house of his God just was a peculiar custom. 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 of 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 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 Bill Sasser 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 mapping items. 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 Napa nitrous. But the Scripture says it was Belle Shatzer 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 Napa nitrous was not present at the capture of the city and that he was not killed, but taken captive and kindly treated and lived in retirement as a private citizen and they said here is a clear case of error in the Bible. What 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 Daniels later life of father and a son, Napa nitrous, who occupied a stronghold outside the city had made his eldest son, Belle Shatzer, coregent, and he allowed him to use the royal title Belshazzar was slain while befriending the city. Napa nitrous 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 and babbling. Why, because you already have two you have Napa nitrous and Belle Shatzer: Regents and Daniel couldn't possibly get higher than the third ruler and sewing 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 and 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 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 contemporary Ezekiel is a big help and I'm interested in current study, and that encourages me but my friends when Jesus Christ is Daniels 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 thing that's interesting. If you want to know the most important books for the Bible just find out which ones the critics are after the most you find out whichever books those are, you can be sure you read those books because the incredibly beneficial to you. Like Daniel, Isaiah, Revelation, some of the others of Scripture. Thanks for joining us today will seal this crustacean tomorrow.

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