Participants:
Series Code: SISS
Program Code: SISS000088S
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00:01 Music...
00:30 James: All right, we're in Daniel chapter 4 00:32 and we have... I'm going to say two sections left, 00:35 verses 28 to 33 and verses 34 through 37... 00:42 two more sections of... let's remember this now, 00:45 Nebuchadnezzar's testimony. 00:47 James: Testimony... and the most powerful part of his testimony 00:50 are the last few verses... so powerful... 00:53 I can't wait to get there... there's just a lot in there. 00:54 Yvonne: Yeah. 00:56 James: So we'll jump right in here, 00:57 let's start with a word of prayer, 00:58 who'd like to pray for us? 01:00 Yvonne: I'll pray. James: Thanks Yvonne. 01:01 Yvonne: "Father God, thank You so very much 01:03 for this day... 01:05 thank You for bringing us here once again to study Your Word, 01:08 we pray for Your Spirit who guides us into all truth, 01:11 we pray Lord that... for Your presence 01:14 and Your power and anointing 01:15 and thank you so much again, in Jesus' name, amen. " 01:17 All: Amen. 01:19 James: All right, let's start Jason, in verse 28... 01:22 let's just read right through verse 33. 01:25 Jason: Okay, "All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 01:28 At the end of the twelve months 01:30 he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. 01:33 The king spoke saying, 'Is not this great Babylon, 01:36 that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power 01:40 and for the honor of my majesty?' 01:42 While the word was still in the king's mouth, 01:45 a voice fell from heaven: 01:47 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: 01:50 the kingdom has departed from you! 01:52 And they shall drive you from men, 01:55 and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. 01:57 They shall make you eat grass like oxen; 02:00 and seven times shall pass over you, 02:03 until you know that the Most High rules 02:05 in the kingdom of men, 02:07 and gives it to whomever He chooses. ' 02:09 That very hour the word was fulfilled 02:12 concerning Nebuchadnezzar; 02:14 he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; 02:17 his body was wet with the dew of heaven 02:19 till his hair had grown like eagles' feathers 02:22 and his nails like birds' claws. " 02:25 James: That is the longest time-out... 02:27 Yvonne: Oooooh... 02:28 All: Laughter. 02:30 James: Seven years. Yvonne: That's true. 02:33 Jason: Man... Yvonne: Longest time-out... 02:35 James: You know, raising children... 02:37 it's really interesting that what works for one 02:38 doesn't work for another 02:40 and for one of our kids time-out was just like torture. 02:44 Yvonne: Hmmm... 02:45 James: You know, just the communication... 02:47 social... the... that whole thing... 02:49 just to be told... "Mmmm... mmmm... " 02:52 it took like three or four times to... to sink in... 02:54 you know, so it would go... 02:55 "Okay, you're out on time-out... one minute... 02:57 two minutes... three minutes... four minutes... " 02:58 and then finally... breathing deeply... 02:59 it was hard. 03:01 Yvonne: Yeah. 03:02 James: And I say... this was the longest time-out in history 03:04 in the Bible... 03:05 there's another time-out in the New Testament. 03:06 It's a nine-month time-out... do you remember who that was? 03:10 Yeah... Zacharias... remember? 03:12 Yvonne: Oh, yeah, he couldn't speak... 03:14 right... right... right. 03:15 James: He was on a nine-month timeout, 03:17 so, you have the nine-month timeout... 03:18 you have the seven-year timeout. 03:19 God... you know, in Hebrews 12 it says, 03:21 "God chastens or disciplines us... " 03:23 and don't despise that 03:25 because if you are being chastened of God... 03:27 disciplined by God... you're a child of God. 03:29 Yvonne: Right... right. 03:30 James: Nebuchadnezzar is a child of God. 03:32 See, that's what we need to get out of this so far, 03:33 Nebuchadnezzar is a child of God... God cares about him 03:36 and that's one of the things that we find missing, I think, 03:38 in society today. 03:40 You know, we talk about love... 03:41 I read a book not long ago called: The Five Love Languages 03:44 and when I went to find them in the Bible, 03:47 I found seven love languages 03:49 and the sixth love language in Hebrews 03:51 because Hebrews is a relational book 03:53 and by the way, we should talk about Hebrews, 03:55 like, sometimes, we should just kind of throw 03:56 Hebrews on the table. 03:58 Yvonne: Yeah. 03:59 James: But Hebrews is a relational book, 04:00 so, it has these love languages... 04:02 but the one that's missing in the book 04:03 and the one that I found in Hebrews is... chastening. 04:05 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten... " 04:07 Yvonne: Hmmm... 04:09 James: And we just don't see it in Society today, 04:10 and then the other love language in Hebrews 04:12 that's really powerful is commitment... 04:14 "I will never leave you nor forsake you. " 04:16 Commitment... God chastens us and God is committed to us. 04:18 Those two love languages are speaking loudly 04:21 to Nebuchadnezzar right here... 04:22 God's chastening him... but God's committed to him. 04:24 Yvonne: Yes. James: Yeah. 04:26 Jason: It seems like, you probably don't see 04:27 that "chastening" as love language in society today 04:31 because if you disagree... then, you're deemed as a "hater" 04:36 or that you hate that individual 04:38 because you disagree with what they're doing... 04:40 or the way that they're living. 04:41 James: Yeah, where you say that that's wrong 04:43 and that's not going to create a better tomorrow 04:44 or whenever... it's true. Jason: Yeah. 04:46 James: We have a hard time, 04:47 everyone wants a place in the table... 04:49 we want to have a pluralistic society where nothing's wrong 04:52 it's just... "that's the way you see it... 04:53 this is the way I see it. " 04:55 There's no real guide or rule for life 04:57 which we call the Bible, yeah. 04:59 Yvonne: That's right. 05:01 Ivor: I think there is something very interesting here 05:04 in the fact that... 05:05 James: What you got Ivor... what you got? 05:07 Yvonne: Laughter. All: Laughter. 05:08 Ivor: Nebuchadnezzar is... he's made to become like a beast 05:13 and that's... that's really, really significant. 05:18 Yvonne: Hmmm... James: Hmmm... 05:20 Ivor: So, if we go back to Genesis 1:26... 05:22 maybe someone can turn... Genesis 1:26 05:25 and Yvonne, if you could read that for us, 05:30 that would be great. 05:34 Yvonne: Genesis 1:26, 05:38 "Then God said, 'Let us make man in Our image, 05:41 according to Our likeness; 05:43 let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, 05:46 over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, 05:49 over all the earth and over every creeping thing 05:52 that creeps on the earth. '" 05:53 Ivor: So, when God made man, He made man in His image... 05:56 in His likeness... 05:58 and you'll notice here that 06:00 God actually created two kingdoms on earth. 06:03 He created the kingdom of men... 06:05 and then, He created the animal kingdom 06:08 and when God made man, He made man in His image 06:12 and in His image... what did man have? 06:16 Dominion over the beasts from the sea... 06:20 the beasts from the earth... 06:23 and the beasts from the air. 06:26 That's what man had dominion over. 06:29 James: "And everything that creeps... " even the insects. 06:31 Ivor: Right. James: Even the cockroaches. 06:33 Ivor: So man had dominion over these things. 06:34 Now, when man sinned... 06:37 and remember how man sinned, right? 06:40 It was a serpent... a creature... 06:43 that comes to Eve and says, 06:45 "Hey, you don't have to follow God's will... 06:47 you don't have to do God's way... 06:48 you don't have to be like God... 06:50 I mean, you can be like God in different ways... " 06:51 James: Right. Yvonne: Right. 06:52 Ivor: And so, when man sinned, they lost the image of God 06:54 and they began to be... 06:57 to reflect the image of the beasts. 07:00 Yvonne: Hmmm... All: Hmmm... 07:02 Ivor: They began to reflect an animal nature. 07:05 Yvonne: Ooooh... come on... ah ha... 07:07 Ivor: And so, when you look at Cain killing his brother... 07:08 that's animalistic. 07:09 James: Hmmm... Yvonne: Right. 07:11 Ivor: When you look at what happens in the flood, 07:12 that's animalistic... that's... 07:14 you know, the reason the flood came was because 07:15 the thoughts of men's hearts were only evil continually 07:18 so, ever since sin, we have had two natures fighting within us. 07:22 James: Hmmm... 07:23 Ivor: That which is to reflect the image of God 07:24 and then the animal nature. 07:26 Jason: Wow! Yvonne: Hmmm... 07:27 James: That we're supposed to have dominion over. 07:29 Ivor: That we were supposed to have dominion over. 07:30 Yvonne: Oooooh... 07:32 Ivor: So, when you now see that because of man's sin, 07:35 he no longer has dominion over the beast from the sea. 07:39 James: Hmmm... Yvonne: Ooooooh! 07:41 Ivor: The beasts from the air... the beasts from the earth... 07:44 he has lost dominion over those things 07:47 so, it's interesting that when we get to the book of Daniel, 07:50 how is... what is God using to describe the kingdoms of men? 07:53 James: Beasts from the sea. 07:54 Ivor: He's using beasts... a lion... a bear... a leopard... 07:58 he's seeing... "Look, the kingdoms of men 08:00 have become... they have become animalistic. 08:02 James: Wow... wow... that's right. 08:04 Ivor: The nature of man has totally flipped... 08:07 you're not longer in the image of God, 08:09 so, when you see Nebuchadnezzar turning into a beast, 08:13 he's literally saying, "You... is this what you want? 08:17 Is this what you want?" 08:19 And the thing is that, 08:21 the gospel is God coming to restore us to the proper order 08:26 which is man having dominion over the beast 08:30 because everyone of us has a beastly nature within us 08:36 and if you're not in Christ... 08:37 "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: 08:39 old things are passed away... " 08:40 Yvonne: "all things are made new. " 08:42 Ivor: "Old things are passed away; 08:43 all things are become new... " 08:45 then, you now, in the order of Christ... 08:47 you now have dominion over the beast. 08:50 James: Hmmm... hmmm... 08:51 Ivor: And that just sets us up perfectly 08:53 because at the end of time, what do you... what do you have? 08:56 You have three powers... a beast from the sea... 08:59 a beast from the earth... 09:01 and the prince of the power of the air 09:03 which is the dragon 09:04 and they are trying to get dominion 09:07 over God's end-time people 09:08 and God is saying, 09:10 "Listen, if you learn what it means to be in Me, 09:13 you will have dominion over these beasts... 09:17 you don't have to be afraid of them... 09:18 you don't have to fear... " 09:20 and so, there's a very practical lesson here, 09:22 Nebuchadnezzar is... 09:24 "You're acting like a beast, Nebuchadnezzar... 09:26 stop being a beast... 09:27 I'm trying to make you into my image... " 09:30 and so, this is what happens to Nebuchadnezzar... 09:33 he's not just... God didn't just say, 09:35 "I'll make you a beast... " 09:36 like, there's a lesson behind this. 09:37 James: Yeah... yeah. Yvonne: Yeah. 09:39 James: God says, "If you want to be a beast, 09:40 this is what it's going to be like... 09:41 you're going to lose your reason... 09:43 you're going to lose your support... 09:44 everyone is going to flee from you... 09:45 you're going to be eating grass... 09:47 you're not going to take care of yourself... 09:48 this is what it's going to be... you want to be a beast?" 09:50 Ivor: And you look at these beasts... 09:51 you look at the lion... ferocity... 09:52 you look at the bear... devouring flesh... 09:54 you look at the leopard... camouflage... 09:56 the dragon... breaks in pieces... 09:58 if those characteristics are in us, 10:00 we're part of the beast. 10:01 James: Hmmm... hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm... 10:03 Ivor: We're part of those systems... 10:04 the lamb-like beast speaks likes a... 10:05 horns and lamb... speak as a dragon... 10:07 it looks like a lamb... hhh... hhh... 10:08 but inside... dragon, right? 10:10 All: Laughter. 10:12 Ivor: How many of us walk around 10:13 in the image of the beast? 10:16 Do you see what I'm saying? Yvonne: Yes. 10:19 Ivor: We talk about... "Oh, I don't want to get the... 10:21 I don't want to... worship the image of the beast" 10:23 but if you are acting in the image of the beast... 10:26 if you are walking around with the mark... 10:29 hhhh... 10:32 I mean, you know, the Mark of the Beast is something 10:34 we did another study... but what I'm saying is... 10:37 we know that the "Mark" is something 10:38 that happens at the end of time but there's a preparation for it 10:43 and if you're walking around with the sign of the beast, 10:48 you are preparing yourselves to receive the Mark of the Beast. 10:51 James: The characteristics of the beast... 10:52 Ivor: The characteristics of the beast... 10:54 Yvonne: Oooooh... that is heavy. Ivor: Yeah. 10:56 James: And one of the main characteristics 10:58 that is identified right here in this text is pride. 11:01 Yvonne: Oh, yes... 11:03 James: Self-exaltation and pride 11:04 and it's all through the book of Revelation... 11:06 the whole focus of the book of Revelation... 11:08 the whole foundation of what we're studying in Daniel 11:12 and we'll really get into this later, 11:15 is this idea of trusting in Christ... 11:17 and trusting in His righteousness... 11:19 trusting in His forgiveness... 11:20 His redemption... His perfect life 11:21 which completely annihilates all pride... 11:24 because there's no way... 11:26 that's why so many people don't accept Christ 11:28 because they don't need Christ... Christ is a crutch... 11:29 Yvonne: Hmmm... 11:31 James: And I try to tell people, "Christ isn't a crutch... " 11:34 He's not a crutch... 11:35 Christ is a complete life-support system. 11:38 Yvonne: Ooooh... 11:39 James: What am I going to do with a crutch? 11:40 I can't breathe... I can't walk, I... what am I going to do? 11:42 A crutch isn't going to help me here... 11:44 Yvonne: Right. 11:45 James: No... Christ is total life-support... 11:47 Christ is total life-support 11:48 and we need to have life-support 11:50 and Nebuchadnezzar needs to have life support 11:51 but he's too proud to realize that. 11:53 Yvonne: Yeah. 11:55 James: And so, God is saying, "Hey, you know, 11:56 you're going to go through an experience right now 11:59 but I'm going to be with you... 12:00 the band is still going to be there... 12:01 you're going to have the experience 12:03 that's going to help you to realize... 12:04 you completely, totally need life-support. " 12:06 Jason: Hmmm... 12:07 Yvonne: When he was talking to Daniel before, 12:09 he acknowledged who the Most High God was 12:12 but he's walking around... he's looking at Babylon 12:15 and I read somewhere 12:17 that Babylon was one of the most beautiful places 12:20 in the world... 12:22 it had hanging gardens and all this beauty 12:24 and he's looking around and he's saying, 12:27 "Wait a minute... it is... I built this... 12:30 this is my kingdom... " 12:32 and he's starting to, like, feel himself... 12:34 and right then... while the words... 12:37 I like that... while the words were still in his mouth, 12:41 God said, "Ah ah... " Ivor: That's the emphasis. 12:43 Yvonne: I know... I know it... 12:45 Ivor: Not while he finished... when he finished it... 12:48 it's, "While the words were in his mouth. " 12:51 Yvonne: "In his mouth... " the way... 12:54 the way the Bible expresses things... it's just so rich 12:59 because again, it paints that picture... 13:02 you know, we can just see... we could see him. 13:05 Ivor: It's powerful... 13:06 the thing, James, you were just saying 13:09 about depending on Christ, you know, 13:10 I want you to think about this now, 13:12 but another verse I'm going to share 13:14 but think about what he sees in this vision, right, 13:16 he sees a tree that it's branches lodge out 13:20 and this... this tree is supposed to represent, 13:23 "Hey, this is me... this is my kingdom... 13:25 everyone comes to my kingdom 13:26 and my kingdom is the kingdom that's going to last forever. 13:29 My... this tree represents 13:31 the kingdom that's going to last forever... " 13:32 and God was like, "No... 13:34 that's not the tree that's going to last forever, 13:37 there's another tree... there's another tree... " 13:40 and check this out 13:42 because you remember when Jesus is giving this parable 13:45 about the kingdom of heaven 13:47 and it's almost as if he's quoting the exact description 13:52 of the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had. 13:55 All: Hmmm... 13:56 Ivor: Matthew 11... you have it... 13:58 Matthew chapter 13 verses 31 and 32 14:00 and look at what it says here. 14:02 James: Matthew... what? 13... 14:03 Ivor: Verses 31 and 32. 14:07 Jason: Okay. 14:09 Ivor: You want to read that Jason? 14:10 Jason: Yes... 14:12 "Another parable He put forth to them, saying: 14:14 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, 14:16 which a man took and sowed in his field, 14:19 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; 14:21 but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs 14:24 and becomes a tree, 14:25 so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches. " 14:29 Yvonne: Oooooh! oh ho ho ho... 14:32 Ivor: Wait a minute... are you quoting? 14:33 Are you quoting Daniel chapter 4? 14:37 It's as though God was saying, "Look, your kingdom... 14:40 that tree that represents your kingdom, 14:42 that's not the kingdom that lasts forever... 14:45 there's another kingdom coming 14:47 which will be symbolized by another tree 14:50 and that tree is the tree of Calvary. 14:53 It is through Christ's death, burial and resurrection... 14:56 through His death on the cross... 14:58 that's the kingdom... 15:00 when He came to establish a kingdom, 15:01 that mustard seed goes into the ground and it dies... 15:04 that's the tree... so... 15:07 God is trying to show Nebuchadnezzar... 15:09 "This is the kingdom that's going to last forever. " 15:11 Right? so that tree parallels the death of Christ 15:14 and now watch this... 15:15 Daniel 1... Christ's first temptation... 15:18 Daniel 2... Christ's second temptation... 15:21 Daniel 3... Christ's third temptation... 15:23 bow down... right? 15:25 Daniel 1, 2, 3... the beginning of His ministry... 15:27 James: Daniel 1... appetite... Ivor: Daniel 1... appetite... 15:28 Daniel 2... stone against the foot... 15:32 Daniel 3... bow down and worship... 15:35 that's the beginning of Christ's ministry... 15:38 Daniel 4... the cross... 15:40 the cross... so... 15:42 James: The tree... 15:44 Ivor: The tree... 15:46 so, here you have the beginning of His ministry... 1, 2, 3... 15:48 and chapter 4... the end of his ministry... 15:51 of His earthly ministry as a man. 15:53 Yvonne: Right. 15:54 Ivor: And there's more to come but Daniel is showing us... 15:57 the book of Daniel not only shows us 15:59 in a very practical sense, 16:00 "Hey, what's going to happen to God's people at the end of time" 16:02 but it's actually... 16:03 Daniel is, in a sense, living out the life of Christ 16:08 through these stories in Daniel 1 through 4 16:11 and that's where I'm going. 16:13 Yvonne: Wow. 16:15 James: Yeah... Christ is all through it. 16:16 Ivor: Christ is all through it. James: It's beautiful. 16:18 Yvonne: Wow! 16:19 James: Okay, now, we've got one last section left 16:21 and that's beginning with verse 34, 16:23 Yvonne, you want to read those for us? Verses 34 to 37... 16:27 Yvonne: Sure... "And at the end of the time, 16:29 I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, 16:33 and my understanding returned to me; 16:36 and I blessed the Most High 16:38 and praised and honored Him who lives forever: 16:41 for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, 16:44 and His kingdom is from generation to generation. 16:47 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; 16:51 he does according to His will in the army of heaven 16:55 and among the inhabitants of the earth. 16:58 No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, 17:01 "What have you done?" 17:02 keep going? James: Yeah. 17:04 Yvonne: "At the same time my reason returned to me, 17:07 and for the glory of my kingdom, 17:09 my honor and splendor returned to me. 17:11 My counselors and nobles resorted to me, 17:14 I was restored to my kingdom, 17:16 and excellent majesty was added to me. 17:19 Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, 17:21 praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, 17:25 all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. 17:29 And those who walk in pride He is able to put down. " 17:33 Ivor: Hmmm... 17:34 James: This verse... marginal reference 17:36 contains every letter in the alphabet except for "Q" 17:39 that last verse... 17:41 it covers it all... just covers it all... 17:43 that's what it does... 17:45 "I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor 17:47 the King of heaven, 17:48 whose works are truth, and His ways are judgment. 17:49 And those who walk in pride he's able to abase. " 17:51 Now, this is a converted man. 17:54 Yvonne: Right. 17:56 James: A person that comes through a severe trial... 17:58 seven years... crazy... 18:00 his hair has grown like eagle's feathers... 18:03 his nails like eagle's claws... and he's eating grass... 18:06 he was the first hippie... some people say. 18:07 All: Hmmm... hmmm... 18:09 James: And he comes to the end of that trial... 18:12 Yvonne: Howard Hughes... Howard Hughes... 18:14 James: He comes to the end of that trial... 18:15 that grass-eating, long-haired trial 18:18 and he praises God... that's the first thing he does. 18:21 As soon as he comes out of it, 18:22 he lifts up his hands and he praises God. 18:23 Ivor: Hmmm... hmmm... 18:25 James: I mean, most of us... not most of us 18:27 but a lot of times, we go through trials and we're like, 18:29 "Is God real?" 18:30 "Where is God?" 18:32 "Is God really in my life?" 18:34 "How come I'm going through this if God is around?" 18:36 Not Nebuchadnezzar... 18:37 Nebuchadnezzar gets converted through this 18:40 and we know he's converted... why? 18:41 Because when he comes out of it, he's praising God... 18:43 the first thing he's doing is praising God. 18:45 Yvonne: Right. 18:46 Jason: I think, sometimes, like, it's interesting 18:48 as we look at Nebuchadnezzar's life and... 18:50 and Daniel and all that stuff, 18:51 Nebuchadnezzar went through a lot of self-inflicted trials... 18:55 he brought about things on his own by not honoring God 18:59 and then, thinking that, 19:01 "Okay, now I can take everything on myself... " 19:03 like resorting back to self... 19:05 only to find out that he was about to have the most humbling, 19:09 rock-bottom experience that anybody could go through, 19:14 why do we want to hit rock bottom before we seek the Lord 19:20 as opposed to avoiding all that pain and heartache 19:24 not that we won't... 19:25 it rains on the just and on the unjust 19:27 but if there are things that we can avoid, 19:31 why not avoid all the unnecessary trials? 19:34 James: One reason... pride. 19:37 Jason: Hmmm... hmmm... 19:38 James: Think about that in our own lives... 19:41 how pride keeps us from making that apology... 19:43 how pride keeps us from humbling ourselves, 19:45 how pride keeps us from thereby negotiating and avoiding 19:51 a lot of terrible stuff 19:53 because we were willing to reconcile... 19:55 we were willing to work through stuff with people... 19:56 but pride forbids us. 19:57 James: It's... it's... it's true. 20:00 Yvonne: But look how merciful God is... 20:03 He could have let him just wander off forever. 20:06 Jason: Yeah. James: Yeah. 20:08 Yvonne: He could have remained like a crazy man 20:10 but instead... that root... that... 20:12 that... that binding of the iron 20:15 around that stump 20:17 and the root being secured there... 20:20 that's like... "All right, you're going to go off for a bit 20:24 but you're not going to be destroyed. " 20:27 It's amazing! 20:29 Ivor: Yeah, I'm going to share something here because, 20:31 James, as you and I have been talking, 20:34 we've been going on this thread and I don't know if you see it 20:39 but I'm going to share this 20:40 and to me, it's just like, mind-blowing 20:42 because I've been talking about... 20:44 we've been talking... 20:45 we've been kind of focusing on the person of Nebuchadnezzar, 20:49 right, and how God loves him... God loves him... God loves him, 20:52 and then, I've been bringing in this aspect of prophecy 20:55 and the kingdom of Babylon 20:57 and how it just seems like there's two different outcomes, 21:00 one for the person Nebuchadnezzar 21:02 and then one for the kingdom Babylon, right? 21:05 and in the pictures I'm showing that deal with end-time events, 21:09 there is no hope... there is no mercy... 21:11 there's no nothing for Babylon, right? 21:13 It's like... Babylon sets up an image... 21:16 Babylon goes against the king of the north and does this... 21:19 Babylon... and there's something in Daniel 11 21:22 that I want to actually connect with this 21:24 and then, we bring this point back 21:25 and then we see just how powerful this is 21:27 because in this story, God is like saying to Nebuchadnezzar, 21:30 "Hey, I'm calling you out of your craziness... " right? 21:34 "I'm calling you out of this" but... 21:36 but I want you to notice this because remember 21:38 where is Nebuchadnezzar when this begins... 21:40 when this happens, where was he walking? 21:42 James: In the kingdom of his palace... 21:44 Ivor: He was walking in his palace, 21:46 so, he was glorifying in his palace, 21:48 right? and the moment that he is... 21:50 that this event occurs in his palace, 21:53 that's when it's like, "All right, that's it... done" 21:57 so, just for a re-cap... remember Daniel 1... 22:00 the king of the north... 22:03 or king of the south attacks the king of the north. 22:05 Yvonne: Right. 22:06 Ivor: The king of the north responds 22:08 by coming back against the king of the south... 22:09 defeats him... then turns his attention to the holy land... 22:13 Jerusalem... 22:14 he seeks to enforce the wine of Babylon, 22:16 he... oh... and then... 22:20 he gets tidings, right, regarding the north 22:25 and the east 22:26 those tidings trouble him 22:27 and so, in fury, he tries to destroy many. 22:31 James: Hmmm... hmmm... 22:32 Ivor: In doing this, his sins have reached unto heaven... 22:36 he sets... he glorifies in his palace 22:39 and as a result of this, something is about to happen. 22:43 Ivor: Now, I want you to go to Daniel chapter 11, 22:45 this is the first time, like, we're going to look at Daniel 11 22:48 just for a moment and I just want you to read 22:50 Daniel 11 verses 40 to 45... 22:52 Daniel 11 verses 40 to 45. 22:56 Jason: "At the time of the end 22:58 the king of the South shall attack him; 23:00 and the king of the North shall come against him 23:02 like a whirlwind, 23:04 with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; 23:06 and he shall enter the countries, 23:08 overwhelm them, and pass through. 23:11 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, 23:14 and many countries shall be overthrown; 23:16 but these shall escape from his hand: 23:18 Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 23:24 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, 23:28 and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 23:30 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, 23:34 and over all the precious things of Egypt; 23:36 also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. 23:40 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; 23:44 therefore he shall go out with great fury 23:47 to destroy an annihilate many. 23:49 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas 23:54 and the glorious holy mountain; 23:56 yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him. " 23:59 Ivor: Okay, so look at this, 24:01 we have this parallel between the events of Daniel 11:40 to 45 24:06 and everything we have read from Daniel 1 24:08 all the way up to Daniel 4. 24:10 There is king of the south 24:12 pushing against the king of the north 24:13 the north retaliates... 24:14 he flows into the countries and overpowers everyone... 24:18 he has treasure... he has power over gold... 24:21 that image that was made of all gold... 24:23 tidings out of the north and the east trouble him, 24:27 therefore in great fury, 24:29 he's going to destroy as many as he can 24:31 and the last thing he does is, he sets up these palaces. 24:34 Where was Nebuchadnezzar walking? 24:36 He was in the midst of his palace, 24:38 he sets up these palaces and then, the pronouncement is, 24:41 "He shall come to his end and none shall help him. " 24:45 What is this telling us? 24:46 God loves people in Babylon but He hates the System. 24:51 James: Hmmm... hmmm... 24:52 Ivor: And it's the System here that he's speaking against, 24:55 you understand, like, 24:57 that parallel of, "Well, God hates Babylon... " 25:00 does that mean He hates Nebuchadnezzar? 25:01 James: No. 25:03 Ivor: No... even though Nebuchadnezzar is personifying 25:05 the enemy of God... 25:07 God still says, "But I love Nebuchadnezzar though... 25:10 I love what he stands for... 25:11 I love who he's personifying... 25:13 but I love him... " 25:14 and that's the same message... 25:15 "Come out of her my people... my people... " 25:19 James: And that's a really good explanation for these verses 25:22 in Daniel chapter 4, verses 34 and 35 and 36, 25:26 he... in verse 35... he says, 25:28 "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: 25:31 and He does according to His will in the army of heaven. " 25:34 What is God's will? 25:35 God is not willing that any would perish 25:37 but that all would come to repentance... 25:39 "He does according to His will in the army of heaven, 25:41 and among the inhabitants of the earth: 25:43 and none can stay His hand, and say unto Him, 25:44 'What are You doing... What are You doing?'" 25:46 "I'm doing everything I can to save people... 25:48 whatever it takes... 25:49 even if I have to make people crazy for seven years, 25:51 whatever it takes to humble their pride... 25:54 because I want them in heaven... that's what I'm doing. 25:57 You can ask me what I'm doing... " 25:58 you know, Nebuchadnezzar is... 25:59 this is hyperbole in a sense... 26:01 Nebuchadnezzar says, "You can't ask God what He's doing. " 26:03 You can ask Him what He's doing... 26:04 but you can't ask Him what He's doing 26:06 as if you don't know 26:07 or as if there's going to be some kind of strange answer, 26:09 "What are You doing?" 26:10 Because sometimes we don't know what He's doing 26:11 but we do know what His purpose is. 26:13 His purpose is that He's not willing that any would perish 26:16 but that all would come to repentance. 26:17 So, His purpose is, He's doing whatever it takes... 26:20 "God save me and make it easy... 26:21 but if you can't make it easy, save me anyway... " 26:24 whatever it takes... 26:26 and that's the picture Nebuchadnezzar has of God now 26:28 and this is the picture that we're going to take to the world 26:32 in the context of these prophecies... 26:34 we've got to take this picture to the world 26:36 that God is doing whatever it takes and... 26:39 and He wants to recover us and I love this next verse, 26:42 "And at the same time my reason returned unto me... " 26:45 since the fall, we've lost our reason 26:46 and "for the glory of my kingdom, 26:49 my honor and brightness returned to me... " 26:50 since the fall, we've lost our honor and our brightness... 26:52 the image of God... 26:53 "and my counsellors and my lords sought me; 26:56 and I was established in my kingdom, 26:59 and excellent majesty was added unto me. " 27:01 We have a crown... we have a robe... 27:02 we have a throne... 27:04 everything that is restored to Nebuchadnezzar 27:06 is a type of what God wants to restore in us 27:08 as He redeems us from sin. 27:10 Ivor: Because we are re-made in His image... 27:11 no longer animals. 27:14 James: It's a beautiful picture. Ivor: Yeah. 27:15 James: And you... you know... 27:17 Yvonne: I find it really interesting 27:19 that they took him back and even though he was nuts 27:22 for seven years... 27:23 that was the favor of God. 27:25 James: That was the favor of God. 27:26 James: And God's going to take us back... 27:29 and the angels find it interesting 27:30 that God's going to take us back in 27:32 even though we are nuts for 6,000 years. 27:34 That's the favor of God. 27:36 Ivor: Did we read the last verse? 27:38 James: Yeah, we did... we didn't comment on it, 27:40 did you want to comment on it? You got 15 seconds. 27:41 Ivor: That's what we're going to do in heaven... 27:44 that's what we're going to do in heaven. 27:45 James: Yes... yes... Yvonne: Hmmm... 27:46 James: "I praise... I extol... I honor... " 27:48 Yvonne: "Just and true are Your ways... " 27:49 Ivor: "Just and true are Your ways, O King of saints. " 27:51 Yvonne: O King of saints... ooooh... 27:52 James: Yeah, praise God... 27:54 same theme in Revelation... praise God. 27:56 Yvonne: Amen. |
Revised 2020-06-16