The Book of Daniel - Chapters 3 and 4

We have come now to Daniel chapter 3 and Revelation 13. In fact, Daniel chapter 4 seem to be in parallel with Revelation 13 we'll talk about that some tonight.

So if you would be turning to Daniel chapter 3 and we can begin there. Preliminary comments.

One of the things that was prevalent in Babylon of course was pagan worship and the principle of God was Marduk in A-R-D-U-K. Marduk had several names, other names that it went by and the short name for Marduk in Babylon was Bell. So for example, Daniel was real name, renamed Bell Tishazzar. His Babylonian name was Bell Tishazzar and of course Bell and Marduk goes back to Baal and it is the principle God, the God over all.

And you can see from the writings here in Daniel 3 and Daniel 4 that they are steeped in paganism and that they have gods for just about everything you want to name.

Another thing that I want to mention here is the use of commentaries. Very often our writers will use expositors commentary over other commentaries but expositors believe that Daniel was written much later and I'm going to read a little excerpt here from the expositors commentary. The first chapter of the book of Daniel serves as a beautiful introduction to the whole and strikes the keynote of faithfulness to the institutions of Judaism which of all others seems most important to the mind of Apias, Hebrews, or Hebrew in the day of Antiochus Epiphanes. So what this is contending is that the expositors commentary believes that Daniel was written during the days of Antiochus Epiphanes. We talked about that in our first class meeting. The writer wished to set before his countrymen in the most winning and vivid manner the nobleness and the reward of obeying God rather than man.

So he says it's somewhat analogous to a parable that it doesn't lesson in spiritual import because it was written by someone else and attributed to Daniel. In fact he somewhat says it's too bad that it was attributed to Daniel. So the reason I'm telling you this is you have to be careful when you're referencing commentaries. In a lot of our booklets and articles some of these articles have extensive quotes from the expositors commentaries which I'm going to bring to the attention of people at the home office. He goes on to say there seems to be on the very threshold every indication of a historic inaccuracy such as could not have been committed if the historic Daniel had been the true author of the book. So once again the expositor's commentary does not believe that Daniel wrote the book neither does the expositor's commentary believe that the fourth part of the statue the leg the legs part of the statue represents Rome.

Here's what he writes a expositor's commentary every detail of the vision as regards the fourth kingdom is minutely in accord with the kingdom of Alexander and he goes on to quote scriptures and to talk about how the two legs represent Alexander's empire. So just a warning there about about commentaries and what I said earlier that we want to make sure that we prove everything as nearly as we can when we get into some of these things in prophecy we cannot absolutely prove what is being said and in some cases we speculate and we should always be careful to say this is speculation. One of the things that I want to bring your attention to now is you're hearing a lot about the new president and the new administration and how things how great things are going to be. One of the things that President Trump and those who support him in the inner circle even though they have said they have no knowledge about the project 2025. Indeed they do in fact J.D. Vance wrote the a part of the preface to project 2025 and as you know J.D. Vance was the running mate of President Trump. Here's what Time magazine says.

Notably his promises to the evangelical broadcasters Trump spoke to the evangelical broadcasters during the campaign extended beyond the realm of policy.

Extended beyond the realm of policy.

And here's a direct quote from what Trump said. If I get in you're going to be using that power and a level that you've never used it before. He continued I really believe it's the biggest thing missing from this country the biggest thing missing we have to bring back our religion we have to bring back Christianity in this country. And at the same time I've seen documentary a documentary on YouTube of how some are supporting the blue laws once again if you recall when I was growing up as a boy virtually all the stores were closed and of course where I grew up Mississippi and Oklahoma were dry states and Mississippi and Oklahoma were two of the last ones to become wet states. I remember going and fishing one Sunday afternoon after I'd been to church on Sunday morning this is somewhere around 19 oh 61 62 along in there and I went to our point on my parents place and I caught three really nice bass and I came back and I held him up on a stringer and my aunt who was there shouted hey boy those are the devil's fish you better put those back but of course we didn't put them back but it just goes as a anecdotal experience to show that at one time the blue laws were in effect and Christian nationalism played a great role in in the nation. This article goes on to say Trump's deployment of the term our religion he regularly rolls out that phrase our religion when addressing predominantly white evangelical audiences is transparently an affirmation that of American by and for white conservative Christians.

Christian nationalism has a many lobbyists and a powerful force in the nation and Trump hopes to unite the nation under the Christian manner and some have thought well with Trump being elected we would have more time to get the gospel out but and it is going to be better for a while but if blue laws come in and the enforcement of Sunday worship we are really going to be persecuted more and more as time goes on those are things that you can keep in mind and all of this is on the internet all you have to do is go to Google or any search engine and you put in Christian nationalism or you could put Trump and Christian nationalism and you'll see article after article and organization after organization that is supporting it. So we're living in a very precarious treacherous kind of deceitful time and we really need our nose in the Bible and make sure that we prove all things and adhere to the word of God as nearly as we possibly can. We cannot rely on just our what somebody said you know it's like the Bereans were instructed by the apostle Paul or it's recorded by Luke I think it's in Luke 8 verse 17 somewhere along in there that they were more noble than those in Tencelon, Ha'ihi that they searched the scriptures daily whether these things be true and we must do the same thing. So we are at Daniel chapter 3 in verse 1. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold and probably it was gold plated and probably it was not solid gold. I just heard a message on my cell phone and we have to my wife has had a procedure today of catheterization of the heart and they found the blockage and they cleared the blockage and put in a stand and hopefully that will solve things.

So we continue here. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold whose height and was three score cubics quite large the breath they're out six cubits and set it up in the plain.

A durum was probably a province maybe even a suburb of Babylon the city itself the city proper it could not have been I don't think it could have been very far from the city where the king made his headquarters. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent together the princes the governors and the captains the judges the treasures the counselors and the sheriffs and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Now we're going to see that there's going to be an image set up and peoples of the world are going to be forced to worship this image and we'll turn Revelation 13 in a moment and see that.

Now in verse three Daniel 3 and verse 3 then the princes the governors and captains the judges the treasures the counselors the sheriffs and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered together under the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up so this is a very big occasion that they have set this up and of course in a sense it doesn't say that it's set up to worship Nebuchadnezzar but reading between the lines one would think why would he make this image and set it up if it was not to worship him Ben and Harold cried aloud to Ben and Harold cried aloud to you it is commanded old people nations and languages in other words the whole world the emperors of that day really thought in one sense that they had great power and the ruling over all of the world of course China was not being ruled over at this time but much of the world was being ruled over by the Babylonian empire especially the Middle East but at what time you hear the sound of the corn has a fluid heart set but salt or dust and all kinds of music you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up and new summer falls not down and worship shall the same hour be cast in the midst of the burning fiery furnace therefore at that time when all people heard the sound of the cornet fluke harps sack but salt and all the kinds of music and all the peoples the nations and languages fell down worship their golden image that Nebuchadnezzar king the king had set up notice where it says all the people the nations and the languages fell down and worship the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up now we go to Daniel chapter not Daniel but revelation chapter 13 and we'll see in revelation 13 a similar kind of image that is set up that is made that the people of the world are forced to to worship in revelation 13 and we will begin in verse one and we will go back in two if you want to mark revelation 13 which i should do myself at this time revelation 13 in verse one then i stood on the sand of the sea and i saw its beast and saw a beast rising up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns and on his horns ten crowns and on his heads the names of blasphemy are blasphemous names as it says in the new king James the names of blasphemy blasphemy and what they do they blaspheme the god of heaven and those that dwell in heaven so the deception that is coming upon the earth is going to be so great that the peoples of the earth it says in Matthew 24 and i think it's verse 24 that if it were possible the very elect would be deceived if it were possible the very elect would be deceived we want to make sure that we are a part of the very elect god has called us out no matter what background we're from god has called us out he's opened our minds so that we know the truth not just a truth but the truth of who god is what is what he is what is his purpose who is man what is man what is his purpose we know that and we know it we know it forwards we know it backwards at least we ought to so we continue here now the beast which i saw was like a leopard and feet were like the feet of a bear and it is my mouth like the mouth of a lion these three kinds of beasts are mentioned in daniel 7 which we will talk about later when we get there the dragon gave him his power his throne so who gave him his power his throne saint and the devil the dragon is it says in revelation 13 and verse 8 that that old revelation 12 and verse 8 that old serpent seeped the devil that they worship him so if seep the devil gives the beast power is power and its authority and i saw one in the heads as it had been mortally wounded when you mortally wounded something you put it to death and the deadly wing was healed and all the world marveled and followed the beast you see satan's lifetime desire his goal is to have the peoples of the world worship him it is very analogous to analogous to what the idol that nepe caneser set up in babylon centuries ago so they worshiped the dragon so they worshiped satan who gave authority to the beast and they worshiped the beast who is like the beast who is able to make war with him and he was given the mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and he was given authority to continue for three and a half years 42 months three 1260 days then he opened his mouth and blasphemy against god to blaspheme his name his tabernacle and those that dwell in heaven it was granted to him to make war with the saints there were come the i mean authority was given over him or wherever tribe carrying a nation he didn't say and just like it says back there in daniel chapter three that all people's language nations are to bow down when they hear the instruments play and to bow down and worship the image that nepe caneser set up so this is going to be even greater it's going to be worldwide for sure and all who dwell on the earth will worship him whose names have not been written in the book of life of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world if anyone hasn't here here to hear let him hear so we are here to hear what god has to say now we continue with the story back in daniel chapter three wherefore i said times certain caledines came and accused the jews well these three jews the ones that had aniah michelle and anania with the names of shadrach, michach, and abednego they're not bowing down and they're not bowing down and worshiping you so what's going to happen to them and so here's this accusation made against them and then the time of the end as it says in matthew 24 many shall betray one another and i don't know of anything worse than betraying a person who stands for the truth but there will be people who will desire to save their own skin who will betray brothers and sisters at that time brothers and sisters in christ you old king have made a decree that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornean played harp and i'm not going to read all these instruments and kinds of music shall fall down and worship the golden image and whosoever falls not down and worships but he should be cast into the midst of the burning fire at furnace now there are certain jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province shadrach, michach, and abednego and aniah michelle as aniah they're hebrew names shadrach, michach, and abednego and you could read between the lines and maybe come to the conclusion that perhaps these are the ones like with daniel daniel the lion's den in chapter six but these are the ones who inspired neby caneser to make the statue and to say if they don't worship you then they get thrown in the fiery furnace so here are these three jews that stand out they are over the affairs of many things and that means they're over a lot of the native babylonians so jealousy is is the green-eyed monster jealousy has conquered so many people through the ages that it is unbelievable what jealousy can do to people so is it out of jealousy that they inspired these that brought this charge against the jews are these the ones that are inspired him to make to make the statue and to enforce it with being thrown in the fiery furnace if you don't worship it uh that i don't know i don't know i tend to think it was the king himself who thought so highly of himself as we'll see in chapter four where he thought that he was the greatest on the face of the earth and the the beast power and the dragon are going to think they're the greatest thing on the face of the earth because everyone that does not worship them is going to be put to death and i mean everyone that's whose names you're not written in the book of light will be put to death and some will be put to death because they refuse the mark of the beast then neby knazier in his rage and fury commanded to bring shadrach mishak of benedigoh then they brought these men before the king neby knazier spoke and said unto them is it true oh shadrach mishak and benedigoh do not you serve my gods and so there were many gods there were at least uh seven or eight other gods spin off of marduk but as i said he was shortened by the name of belle which also can be short for bail which means the lord the principal god so you're not going to worship my gods worship the golden image which i have set up so that makes you think that it was or it makes me think maybe not you makes me think that neby knazier was the one that ordered this either neby knazier or those that were jealous of the jews who were placed in charge of certain affairs of state now if you'd be ready that what time you hear the sound of the musical instruments you fall down and worship the image which i have made that's well but if you worship not you'll be cast the same hour in the midst of a burning fiery furnace and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands and he assumes that he knows the great god well we read in chapter two after daniel had interpreted his dream about the statue and what he represented that he read he admitted that daniel's god was the true god so which one is it of course he goes back into when it's convenient of course and that's what politicians do and that's what so many rulers do when it's convenient they stand for god and when it's not convenient they stand for something else now this answer by shadrach and bendigo and aniah and misha and misha and aniah is the answer of the ages in a sense and what we should answer they answered and said to the king oh neby knazier we are not careful to answer you in this matter i mean we don't have a problem in answering what where we stand with it if it be so our god whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and so that's the way it is he is able to do whatever god created the universe he created the earth and those that dwell there in and everything therein he created you know sometimes i wonder about here's the apostle paul doing the work of god he was snake bitten he was shipwrecked he was beaten with many strikes he was thrown over the wall for dead and on and on it goes and yet he got up dusted off his clothes and trudged on to the next city i think to maria after those in the the thessal anaka area treated him so cruelly and so yeah a lot of the people who serve god suffer tremendous hardship in doing so and they are not healed and they are not protected from everything god does not put a cocoon around them you know and paul said i besought the lord three times and he said my grace is sufficient under you and when you're weak i'm strong and you have to rely more and more on me and so oftentimes that's the way it is 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 your hand oh king but if not be it known unto you oh king that we will not serve your gods nor worship the golden image which you've set up two things that we won't serve your gods and we won't worship the image you've set up then with neby kineser full of fury and the form of his visage his face was changed against adenai of michelle and adenai therefore he spoke and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was heated so it really turned up the temperature on them seven times hotter than what it was before and he commanded the most hot mighty men that were in the army to bind them and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace then these men were bound in their coats their hose and their hats and their other garments were cast in the midst of the burning fiery furnace and of course you know how quickly clothing can catch on fire therefore because the king's commandment was urgent furnace was exceeding hot the flame of the fire slew those men i set the oven here on 350 when i'm doing the toast in the morning and i open the oven and heat comes up out in my face and i tried to avoid that did you imagine what it would be in a fiery furnace when you open it it's so hot that it took their lives it took their breath away the fire slew those men who's took who took up shadrach, michek, and abednego and these three men shadrach, michek, and abednego fell down bound in the midst of the burning fiery furnace then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished i guess he would be he was astonished and rose up in haste and spoke and said unto his counselors did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire and they answered and said unto the king true old king then he answered lo i see four men that are 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 now how would Nebuchadnezzar know the form of the son of god and i did not know the answer to that but that's what it says like the form of the son of god he recognized that there was a superior God that was with them then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning pliars and burning furnace and spoke and said shadrach, michek, and abednego you servants of the most high god come forth and come here then they were they came forth the midst of the fire and the princes and governors and captains and king's counselors being gathered together saw these men whose bodies the fire had no power over nor was a hair on their head singed neither were their coats changed nor the smell of fire had passed on them it's like they had never been there then Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said blessed be the god of shadrach, michek, and abednego who has sent his angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him and see this is an amazing admission here that how would he know about God's angels well i don't know for sure how he would know about God's angels and have changed the king's word and yielded their bodies that they might not serve or worship any god except their own god and of course i guess that Daniel and shadrach, michek, and abednego had made known some of what they believed and i don't know for sure therefore i make a decree that every people nation and language would speak anything against the god of peace three men Anania, Michelle, Anania shall be cut in pieces and their houses should be made a dung hill because there is no other god that can deliver after this sort now it's too bad he did not get the message in the total sense then the king promoted them in the province of Babylon now we go to chapter four which is sort of in keeping with chapter three and also in chapter 13 of revelation of the same thing that the whole world worshiped the beast the whole world bowed down to the beast everyone whose names were not written in the last book of life and as i mentioned earlier matthew 24 24 24 24 because the deception will be so great that the very leg would be deceived if it were possible and there's a lot of deception that's going to take place in the future and so once again we have to be rooted and grounded in scripture so daniel chapter four verse one that is an answer the king unto all people nations and tongues that dwell in all the earth peace be multiplied under you so a similar greeting is that of verse one in chapter three it's as if he rules over the whole world now in revelation chapter 13 the peace the beast power does real over the whole world i thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high god has brought toward me i thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high god had wrought toward me so the high god in babylon was what was marduk how great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders this kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and his dominion is from generation to generation well that's the same thing that can be said as a kingdom of god it's an everlasting kingdom it is from generation to generation and we can read of this in isaiah chapter seven verse nine this great messianic prophecy that was used by handle when he wrote the messiah so if you would turn back to ivea chapter seven and we'll be hearing in verse seven right beginning six i have to say for sure and isaiah chapter seven isaiah 7 7 just as the lord god it shall not stand or shall come to pass for the head of syria is thomasus chapter nine i think yes chapter nine chapter nine is what i want in chapter nine verse six where i do us a child is born and do us the son is given and the government will be upon his shoulder and his name will be called wonderful counselor mighty god everlasting father prince of peace that jesus christ in his sermon i have is coming sabbath i'm going to talk about the nature of god and christ and how god's plan comes through fruition through christ and on the things that go with it when i do us a child is born and do us the son is given the government will be upon his shoulder and his name will be called wonderful counselor mighty god everything father prince of peace of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of david of course jesus christ inherits the throne of david has brought out in of course david is going to be over israel as well but david but christ will be over david and god the father will be over uh christ as it says in first corinthians upon the throne of david and over his kingdom in order and establishing with judgment and judgment from that time forward even forever notice the zeal of the lord of hosts will perform it so we have the god's word that it is an everlasting kingdom and the dominion is from generation to generation now in this present world god is calling out the firstfruits who will rule and reign with him in bringing all nations into the israel of god all of those who are willing those who are willing to repent exercise faith in the sacrifice for christ be baptized receive the laying on of hands and enter into judgment and into the kingdom eventually upon being changed to spirit beings and everlasting kingdom and his dominion is from generation to generation so we pick it up in verse four Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in his house i guess he was enjoying whatever probably not but or no i never can as there was at rest in my house and flourishing in my palace i saw a dream which made me afraid and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head trouble me therefore made i a decree to bring in all the wise men of babylon similar to what we saw in daniel chapter 2 that they might make known under me the interpretation of the dream then came the magicians the astrologers the caledians the caledians were known for their magical sufsing powers above all the people in the realm at that time and the sufsaers and i told the dream before them but they did not make known into me the interpretation thereof but the last but at last daniel came daniel came in before me whose name was belte shezer see daniel's b-e-l generally they would name high ranking people after their god belle according the name of my god and who is the spirit of the holy gods notice god's plural before him i told the dream saying oh mel chassis the master of the magicians now that's interesting the master of the magicians you see that we read from chapter one that when exam time came after three years that daniel and his three friends were 10 times healthier and smarter than those of babylon old al shazza and belte shezer master of the magicians in other words he was over all of these people because i know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and no secret troubles you of course daniel made it clear in chapter two that the interpretation was not his it came from god and through the book of daniel daniel never takes credit for an interpretation the interpretation comes from either god or an angel gabriel who is the messenger god in most cases and no secret troubles you tell me the visions of my dream that i have seen and the interpretation thereof thus were the visions of mine head in my bed and i saw and behold a tree in the midst of the earth and the height thereof was great of course the tree is symbolic of strength and power in the bottom the tree grew and it was strong and high there over each in the heavens remember the tower of babylon they tried to make it really tall the tree was strong high through a reach in the heavens and the size thereof to the end of all the earth the least thereof were fair and the fruit thereof much and if the meat for all the beasts and the fields had shadows under it and the cows of heaven dwelt in the bounds thereof and all flesh was fed of it of course that reminds you of matthew 6 where god says that he will take care of what he says it through christ and the writer and matthew that if god will take care of even the lilies of the field he will take care of the people not even sparrow falls to the ground unless he's aware of it so lemme can never let me can answer attributes much to what he saw i saw in the visions of my head upon my bed and behold a watcher and a holy one come down from heaven he cried aloud and said let us hew down the tree cut off his branches shake off his leaves and scatter his fruit let the beast get away from from it and the fowls from his branches well we had a booklet in 1975 in prophecy and we had a feast in beluxie mississippi in the 1980s in which i was one of the speakers and so was dr hay and so dr hay spoke about well we did not consider the seven years in neby finnester was mad in in the pasture eating straw like an ox and so on and so 1982 is perhaps the year and of course here we are in 2024 mr armstrong died in in 1986 so we're some 38 years down the road from that so be careful when you set any date be careful don't write your name in the bible don't write anybody's name in the bible he cried aloud and said thus hew down the tree cut off the branches shake off his leaves and scatter his fruit let the beast get away from under it and the fowls from its branches nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth even with a band of grass of the field and let it be wet with the dew of the heaven and let his portion be with the beast and the grass of the field of the earth and so dr hay talked about the stumps and that the kingdom might sprout from the stump the world ruling kingdom of course if you read carefully matthew 24 15 about the the abomination of desolation spoken up by daniel the prophet when it is taken away verse 21 matthew 24 21 then you go to daniel 12 the last three or four verses of daniel 12 tells you that after the abomination of desolation is set up count 13 135 days so we will cover that more thoroughly when we come to chapter seven but nonetheless we should have known and could have known and should have known that it was not the abomination of desolation had not been set up so let the heart be changed verse four from man's and let a beast's heart be given unto him and let seven times pass over him so we said well maybe we need to add seven years bringing us to 1982 but of course we know that did not take place this matter is by the decree of the watchers and the demand by the word now the watchers isn't interested in praise and you should look this up a watcher an angel a guardian and demand by the word the holy ones the intent that the living may know that the most high rules in the kingdom of men so actually the interpretation the dream is in here that the most high rules in the kingdom of men and just that to him so ever and he will set up over the basis of men god set up sires and allowed him to issue a decree allowing the jews to return and rebuild the temple of sires was a pagan king and god doesn't rule over every last and appoint every last person that occupies any kind of civil office but at times he is the one who sets up whomever it is in hosea chapter eight verse four you will read for the day eight and verse four hosea after i believe it's lamentations as don michigan pointed out to me one day when i said hosea is after jeremiah and it is after also after lamentations and hosea chapter eight and first more verse four i'm in daniel chapter hosea chapter eight verse four you can read it before i get there and let it sink in and i'm going to link it in the item here then hosea chapter eight and verse four they set up kings but not by me god does not appoint every elected official that comes to office by permission they are allowed but he doesn't necessarily intervene and decree you know trump decreed when the bullet grazed his face in here well really was his ear that grazed blood was on his face when he grazed his ear that god protected him and the fundamental christians believed it and these christians quote unquote they're nominal christians and i would rather have a nominal christian than one here the spouse is something else but when the nominal christian enforces Sunday worship on saddle keepers that's a different matter they have set up rulers without means they made princes and i did not acknowledge them and they're silver and gold they made idols for themselves because they might be cut off so at times god intervenes in the course of history perhaps he has intervened in the course of history i don't know he for sure intervened in the course of lemme can answer his life lemme can answer his life pictures what is going to come as we will read in just a moment from revelation chapter 13 then Daniel his name was Bill Shazzar was astonished we've already read that name now we have to read that it's the same as an earlier verse so we pick it up in Daniel chapter four verse 19 then Daniel whose name was Bill Shazzar was astonished he told the king that he would have known the interpretation in verse 20 Daniel 4 verse 20 the three that you saw which grew and was strong whose height reached into under heaven and the side there to all the earth whose leaves were fair and the fruit much and it was meat for all under the be of for all under which the beast of the field dwelt and under whose branches the files of the heaven and their habitation so there's a time coming in which a pseudo peace will be enforced or come about on the earth and of course Paul writes in first thessalonians 5 when they say peace and peace peace peace and sudden destruction comes upon them it is you old king that are grown and becomes strong for your greatness is grown and reaches into heaven and your dominion to the end of the earth whereas the king saw the watchers and the holy one coming down from heaven and saying he was the tree down and shroy yet leave the stump and the roots thereof in the earth even with a band of an iron and brass and the tender grass of the field and let it be wet with the dew of heaven and his portion with the beast of the field till seven times pass over this is the interpretation oh king and this is the decree of the most high which has come upon my lord the king that they shall drive you from men and your dwelling shall be with the beast of the field they shall make you eat grass as auction and they shall wet you with dew of heaven well there was a heavy dew this morning when the air changed and got cooler on the moist humidity humidified air you were the dew of heaven and seven times shall pass over you till you know that the most high rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever he wills so god can give the kingdom to anybody but he wills has he given it to anybody lately perhaps whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree your kingdom shall be sure unto you after that you shall have known that the heavens do rule in other words you're going to learn as we emphasize in the book of Isaiah time after time that the most high god rules in the kingdom of men wherefore king let my counsel be acceptable unto you and break off your sin by righteousness and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor time after time where it managed to take care of the poor if they be a lengthening of your tranquility you're going to have peace this is what you need to do this came upon the king of Nebuchadnezzar at the end of 12 months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon see a whole year passed by before it came to pass the king spoke and said is it not this great Babylon you know the hanging gardens of Babylon some called it the seventh wonder of the ancient world and that I have built the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty while the word was in the king's mouth there fell a voice from heaven saying okay Nebuchadnezzar to you it is spoken your kingdom is departed from you similar to Melchizedek as we'll see in chapter five they shall drive you from men and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field they shall make you to eat grass as auction and seven times and seven times shall pass over you until you learn you know that the most high rules in the kingdom of men he gives it to him forever he will the same hour was the king was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar and he was driven from men and did eat grasses and auction and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hairs were grown like ew feathers and his nails like birds claws then Nebuchadnezzar was restored and at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted my eyes unto heaven seven times and passed over him and my understanding returned to me and I blessed the most high and appraised and honored him that lives forever whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom is from generation to generation and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and he does according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth none can stay in his hand or say unto him what are you doing at the same time see there are a lot of people saying today what are you doing what's going on god is in control he is bringing his plan to fruition the challenge before us is to remain faithful at the same time my reason returned unto me for the glory of my kingdom my honor and brightness returned unto me my counselors my lord sought unto me and I was establishing my kingdom and excellent majesty was added unto me now I Nebuchadnezzar praised and extolled and honor the king of heaven all whose works are true and his ways judgment and those that walk in pride he is able to abase of course god hates pride and he brings down the prideful now in revelation chapter 13 we have gone over time a little bit here this evening in revelation 13 we see that the kingdom and I'm going to be paraphrasing that the beast kingdom rises up his deadly wound was healed an idol was made and those that worship the beast were thrown or killed they were killed and no man could buy or sell unless he received the marking of the beast in the forehead or the hand and so that time is coming upon us I know that at least seven years are yet to go and many of us will be dead but our our apocalypse our days are numbered and we're going to come to our end everybody is appointed on demand to die after that the judgment and I hope when the judgment comes we'll be able to stand and say what Nebuchadnezzar said the most high he rules in the kingdom of man