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00:11 ♪♪♪ 00:21 ♪♪♪ 00:33 Jean Ross: Good morning, friends, and welcome again to 00:34 "Sabbath School Study Hour" here at the Granite Bay Seventh 00:37 Adventist Church in Sacramento, California. 00:40 I'd like to welcome our online members and those who are 00:42 joining us across the country and around the world, 00:46 part of our extended Sabbath school class. 00:48 We also want to welcome our regular Sabbath school members 00:51 and those that might be visiting with us today. 00:53 We're looking forward to our study time today. 00:57 As many of you know, we've been studying through the 00:59 book of Daniel, that is our theme for the entire quarter. 01:03 Today, we find ourselves on lesson number five, which is 01:07 entitled "From Pride to Humility." 01:10 We're going to be looking at a particular chapter that has 01:12 to do with an ancient king, King Nebuchadnezzar. 01:16 Well, you'll learn more about that here 01:17 as we get into our study. 01:19 We do have a free offer we'd like to let our friends know 01:21 about, those who are joining us, a book entitled 01:23 "The Armor of God," and this is our free offer for today. 01:27 If you'd like to receive this, all you need to do is call the 01:31 number 866-788-3966, and you can ask for Offer 173, 01:38 that is "The Armor of God," or you can text the code 01:42 "SH101" to the number 40544. 01:48 And you'll be able to download a copy of the book 01:50 and read it online. 01:51 Again, it's called "The Armor of God." 01:54 But before we get to our study this morning, as we always do, 01:57 I'd like to invite our song leaders to come forward 01:59 and now lead us in our Sabbath School song. 02:04 male: Good morning, we're going to sing number 286, 02:06 "Wonderful Words of Life." 02:08 We'll sing all three verses. 02:12 ♪♪♪ 02:19 ♪ Sing them over again to me, ♪ 02:24 ♪ wonderful words of life. ♪ 02:28 ♪ Let me more of their beauty see, ♪ 02:32 ♪ wonderful words of life. ♪ 02:36 ♪ Words of life and beauty ♪ 02:40 ♪ teach me faith and duty. ♪ 02:44 ♪ Beautiful words, wonderful words, ♪ 02:48 ♪ wonderful words of life. ♪ 02:52 ♪ Beautiful words, wonderful words, ♪ 02:56 ♪ wonderful words of life. ♪ 03:01 ♪ Christ, the blessed One, gives to all ♪ 03:05 ♪ wonderful words of life. ♪ 03:09 ♪ Sinner, list to the loving call, ♪ 03:13 ♪ wonderful words of life. ♪ 03:17 ♪ All so freely given, ♪ 03:21 ♪ wooing us to heaven. ♪ 03:25 ♪ Beautiful words, wonderful words, ♪ 03:29 ♪ wonderful words of life. ♪ 03:33 ♪ Beautiful words, wonderful words, ♪ 03:37 ♪ wonderful words of life. ♪ 03:42 ♪ Sweetly echo the Gospel call, ♪ 03:46 ♪ wonderful words of life. ♪ 03:50 ♪ Offer pardon and peace to all, ♪ 03:54 ♪ wonderful words of life. ♪ 03:58 ♪ Jesus, only Savior, ♪ 04:02 ♪ sanctify forever. ♪ 04:06 ♪ Beautiful words, wonderful words, ♪ 04:11 ♪ wonderful words of life. ♪ 04:15 ♪ Beautiful words, wonderful words, ♪ 04:19 ♪ wonderful words of life. ♪♪ 04:27 Jean: Let us have a Word of prayer. 04:29 Dear Father in heaven, we thank you once again that we're able 04:31 to gather together in your house to open up your Word and study. 04:34 Today we have an important subject and we do pray that 04:37 you'd guide us as we look back at the lessons that we find in 04:40 the Old Testament in particular an experience that have happened 04:43 to King Nebuchadnezzar that we would learn those lessons 04:46 that you'd have for us. 04:48 So, bless our time together, for we ask this 04:50 in Jesus's name, amen. 04:52 Our lesson today is going to be brought to us by Pastor Doug. 04:58 Doug Batchelor: Good morning, everybody. 05:01 We have a really good lesson today, and I'm praying 05:05 that I can do it justice. 05:08 It's based on Daniel chapter 4. 05:10 I think folks maybe have been a little confused as we go through 05:12 our study guide because we're on lesson five, studying Daniel 4. 05:18 And that's happened a few times along the way. 05:20 I want to welcome our friends who are watching online. 05:23 We have a lot who watch this program and study with us live 05:27 on Facebook, and we have folks who are watching the satellite 05:30 feed from around the world, and some who are watching 05:33 are some of our online members are Granite Bay. 05:35 And I should just mention at this point, if you have been 05:38 tuning in and if you do not have a local church 05:40 where you can attend, if you'd like to know 05:42 how you could be one of our online members, simply go 05:45 to our website and you can inquire there. 05:48 There's a place where you can contact us, say, 05:50 "What's involved in that? 05:51 And what do I need to do?" 05:53 And Kathy and/or Karen will get back to you 05:55 and talk to you about that. 05:57 So, welcome. 05:59 Daniel chapter 4 is our study today, and you pray for me 06:04 because I'm going to be preaching, teaching speeching, 06:09 and I have a lot of, what I think is 06:12 great material to cover. 06:13 This is one of the central chapters in Daniel. 06:16 The whole book sort of comes together in this experience 06:19 of King Nebuchadnezzar. 06:21 And so, if you get your lesson, go to the memory verse. 06:24 Let's start with that. 06:26 The lesson is called "From Pride to Humility." 06:30 Just right there from pride to humility covers a great 06:33 controversy, starts with the devil's pride and it is 06:39 redeemed through the humiliation of Christ. 06:43 So, you've got the crux of the whole gospel in this lesson. 06:47 Memory verse is Daniel 4, verse 3, and that's from 06:50 the New King James Version. 06:52 Daniel 4:3, if you'd say that with me, that'd be great. 06:54 You ready? 06:56 "How great are His signs, And how mighty His wonders! 07:01 His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, 07:04 and His dominion is from generation to generation." 07:09 Now, as we go through our study, go ahead, just take your Bibles 07:12 now and you want to turn to Daniel chapter 4. 07:16 I've been studying this and there's a key message. 07:22 This is the last chapter where Nebuchadnezzar appears. 07:26 Nebuchadnezzar's in chapter 1, he's in chapter 2, 07:28 he's in chapter 3, he's in chapter 4. 07:31 This takes place probably about ten years before his death 07:37 because from the time of the dream, seven years go by 07:42 and he gets his mind back again, he only lives 07:44 two or three years beyond that. 07:46 And so, you've got several years ago from Daniel captivity 07:49 chapter 1 until Daniel chapter 2, and the king has 07:53 that dream nobody can interpret except Daniel. 07:57 And then in chapter 3, oh, probably another eight, 08:00 ten years go by, he builds the golden image. 08:03 And now this is taking place about 20 years later. 08:06 Nebuchadnezzar reigned for about 40 years. 08:09 He's sort of like a parallel of Solomon in some ways, 08:12 who also reigned for 40 years. 08:15 And this is a unique chapter in the Bible if for no other 08:20 reason, it's one of the few places you're going to open your 08:22 Bible, you're going to read an address that's coming to you. 08:26 It's a testimony from a pagan. It is not written by a Jew. 08:32 It's written by a Gentile, but he's giving glory to God. 08:35 And I'm going to just point out some high points. 08:37 Notice what one of the central messages of this chapter is. 08:40 It's one of the longer chapters in Daniel. 08:43 He had about 37 verses, about 1,290 words that are in here. 08:49 Go to verse 3. 08:51 His dominion is from generation to generation. 08:54 You can look in verse 2, "Most High God." 08:58 And you go to verse 17, "The Most High rules." 09:04 Stay with me now, I'm just going to jump down to verse 24, 09:08 "The Most High." 09:11 You look now in in verse 25, "The Most High rules." 09:18 Go to verse 26, "Come to know the Most High 09:22 that heaven rules." 09:24 You go to verse 32, "The Most High rules." 09:29 Go to verse 34, "I bless the Most High, his dominion 09:34 is an everlasting dominion." 09:36 And then you go to his final testimony in verse 36, "Now 09:40 I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the 09:44 King of heaven, whose works are works of truth." 09:47 Now, I'm going to just tell you the chapter quick overview, then 09:50 we're going to go back and we're going to break it apart. 09:52 I want to make sure I give you the story. 09:54 Nebuchadnezzar relates this experience says, "I'm at ease 09:58 in my palace, things are going well." 10:00 Takes place after he had conquered Egypt. 10:02 Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Assyria, conquered Israel, 10:05 conquered several kingdoms. 10:06 One of the big, difficult battles for him was when he 10:10 fought against the Egyptian empire, and he conquered them. 10:12 At that point, he controlled the crux of three continents. 10:18 That's why he calls it a worldwide empire. 10:20 The trade that went through Asia from India, and Europe, 10:25 and Africa, all through the Middle East, he 10:28 got the revenue from that. 10:31 It was a golden kingdom. 10:33 Count up how much gold was in Solomon's temple. 10:36 David talks about all that he gave to the building of the 10:38 temple, Nebuchadnezzar carried all that to Babylon. 10:41 That's just a small piece of all that he had. 10:44 It was the Golden Empire. 10:45 Now, he's finally conquered these kingdoms, 10:47 he's got a little bit of rest and ease. 10:49 By the way, what happens when kings get a little bit of rest? 10:53 David was walking on the roof after a nice rest, 10:56 he got into trouble with Bathsheba. 10:59 So, you always have to brace yourself when 11:01 a king says everything was going great, 11:03 then he has this dream that terrifies him. 11:06 This king had been through wars. 11:08 He was a hardened soldier, little terrified him, 11:11 but this dream terrifies him. 11:14 And he has his dream, and the dream in a nutshell, 11:18 and the dream is rehearsed two or three times in the chapter, 11:21 so I won't read it every time. 11:23 Basically, he dreams about this great tree that reaches 11:27 under the heavens, great branches full of fruit, all the 11:30 birds find shade, the beasts are comforted in the shade. 11:35 The birds in the air and the beasts are fed by the fruit 11:38 that comes from this tree. 11:40 This is a tree that gives a life. 11:42 It is a tree of life, and it's above all the other trees, 11:45 it's exalted. 11:47 And then there's a voice comes from heaven, the Holy One, 11:50 The Watcher it says, "Cut down the tree, chop off its branches, 11:54 scatter its fruit, and surround it with a band of bronze 12:00 and iron until seven times Pass over it." 12:04 And the everyone knows that the Most High rules 12:06 in the children of men. 12:08 Nebuchadnezzar thought that he had done it all, and 12:11 he's wondering what this means, calls in the wise men. 12:15 Wise men can't understand what it is. 12:19 Now, you know, it's interesting that in Daniel chapter 2, the 12:22 wise men of Nebuchadnezzar say, "Just tell us the dream, 12:25 and we will certainly give you the interpretation." 12:27 This time Nebuchadnezzar tells them the dream, they still 12:30 can't interpret it like a wise men of Pharaoh. 12:34 And then it says, finally Daniel comes in. 12:37 Daniel's a little older now. 12:38 Maybe Daniel waited until they exhausted their resources 12:41 so that God would get the glory. 12:43 He comes in and then he interprets the dream. 12:46 And he basically says, "King, you are the tree." 12:50 Now, I want to show you something. 12:52 This is not the first time in the Bible this has happened. 12:56 Go to the book of Ezekiel. Go to Ezekiel chapter 31. 13:04 I told you Ezekiel first so you'd find the neighborhood, 13:06 now I want you to go to chapter 31, and then 13:09 I want you to start with verse 3. 13:11 See if you see some similarities between the vision of Ezekiel, 13:14 which happens not long after Nebuchadnezzar's experience. 13:20 And it tells us, "Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon," 13:26 he's talking about the Assyrian empire, it's compared to a tree. 13:30 "With fine branches that shaded the forest, 13:33 And of high stature," a tall tree. 13:36 "Its top was among the thick boughs. 13:38 The waters made it grow; Underground waters gave it 13:42 height," again a tall tree, "With their rivers running 13:45 around the place where it was planted, and sent 13:48 out rivulets to all the trees of the field. 13:51 Therefore its height was exalted above all the trees 13:54 of the field," a very tall tree, higher than any tree. 13:56 "Its boughs were multiplied; its branches became long because 13:59 of the abundance of water, and it sent them out. 14:03 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs." 14:06 Does that sound familiar? 14:08 "Under its branches the beasts," this is almost identical 14:11 to Nebuchadnezzar's dream. 14:13 "Of the field brought forth their young," they gave 14:16 birth under its shadow. 14:19 "Thus it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of 14:22 its branches, because its roots reached to abundant waters." 14:25 It's well nourished like Psalm 1:3, planted 14:28 by the rivers of waters. 14:30 "The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it." 14:33 No other tree could eclipse it. 14:35 "The fir trees were not like its boughs, and the chestnut trees 14:38 were not like its branches; no tree in the garden of 14:41 God was like it in beauty." 14:44 Of course, it's a prophecy. 14:47 "I made it beautiful with a multitude of branches, so that 14:49 all the trees of Eden envied it," she's talking about 14:53 the kingdom of Assyria, "that we're in the garden of God." 14:56 But look what happens verse 10, "Therefore thus says the Lord 14:59 God: 'Because you have increased in height, and it set its top 15:02 among the thick boughs, and its heart was lifted up in its 15:05 height, therefore I will deliver it into the hand of the mighty 15:08 one of the nations, and he shall surely deal with it.'" 15:11 Assyria was delivered to Nebuchadnezzar. 15:14 "And I have driven it out for its wickedness." 15:16 Because of its pride. 15:18 "And aliens, the most terrible of the nations, have cut it down 15:21 and left it; its branches have fallen on the mountains and in 15:25 all the valleys; it is broken by the rivers in the land; and all 15:29 the peoples of the earth have gone from under its shadow." 15:32 And then go to, you go to verse 16. 15:37 "I made the nations shake at the sound of its fall," timber 15:41 is a picture, you know, this big tree falls and crashes. 15:44 "When I cast it down into the pit." 15:48 And it's basically it says this because it was lifted up 15:51 because of pride. 15:52 This is what happens to Nebuchadnezzar's dream. 15:54 By the way, at the end of this chapter, if you go to Ezekiel 15:57 31, verse 18, very last and says, "This is Pharaoh, 16:06 all his multitude, says the Lord God." 16:08 So, this is a prophecy given to the Pharaoh of Egypt saying, 16:11 look what happened to Assyria because of its pride it was big, 16:14 tall, thought it would last forever, and it fell. 16:18 And God is telling through a Ezekiel, "Pharaoh, you will 16:21 fall just like that tree fell." 16:24 So, trees are often symbols of nations. 16:26 Does Jesus say, "Behold, the fig tree and all the trees 16:30 when its branch is yet tender and it puts forth shoots, 16:33 you know that summer is nigh." 16:35 So, likewise, when you see all these things come to pass, 16:37 know that is even near the door, right? 16:39 He compares Israel to a tree. 16:42 When he cursed the fig tree, what was that a type of? 16:46 It had leaves and no fruit, a fruitless tree. 16:50 They had all the forms of religion, but they didn't have 16:51 the fruits of the Spirit and Jesus cursed that tree. 16:54 And we, you know, read that as a type of Israel. 16:57 So, back to the dream in Daniel chapter 4. 17:04 So, you got this great tree. 17:07 You know, the Bible begins with a tree, tree of Life. 17:10 This tree is a tree of life. 17:11 It's like the tree of Assyria, everything's fed by it. 17:14 And this great tree that is dreamed about 17:17 is like a tree of life. 17:18 Let me get in and let Nebuchadnezzar 17:20 speak for himself. 17:22 He doesn't say much in the Bible, 17:23 so I shouldn't rob his time. 17:25 Go to verse 1, " Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all peoples, 17:30 nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth." 17:32 He's sending out this testimony to everybody. 17:36 "Peace be multiplied to you," pronounces a benediction. 17:40 "I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders 17:44 that the Most High God has worked for me. 17:47 How great are His signs, How mighty His wonders! 17:50 His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, His dominion 17:53 is from generation to generation. 17:56 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, 17:58 and flourishing in my palace. 18:00 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts 18:03 on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 18:06 Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men 18:09 of Babylon before me, that they might make known 18:12 to me the interpretation of the dream. 18:15 Then the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, 18:17 and the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream." 18:21 And they went through their incantations, and they cut open 18:23 an animal and tried to read its entrails, and they put up the 18:27 tea leaves, and they read his palm, and they went through 18:30 all their goofy things that they go through. 18:31 They said, "Let us look at the stars tonight, 18:33 and we'll tell you what the dream means." 18:36 And either they couldn't agree or they had no answer at all, 18:38 but they couldn't tell him what it meant. 18:42 Sometimes God waits until we exhaust all the earthly means 18:45 before we turn to heaven. 18:49 "They couldn't make known to me the dream, 18:50 but at last Daniel came in before me." 18:54 It's interesting, the king mentions his Hebrew name. 18:59 He doesn't, usually they skip right past that. 19:02 King mentions his Hebrew name. 19:05 And this, by the way, this chapter is written in Aramaic, 19:08 not in Hebrew. 19:10 Daniel (his name is Belteshazzar, according 19:12 to the name of my god)," Nebuchadnezzar's confessing, 19:14 "I gave him a name according to my God when we first hired him." 19:18 And it says, "The Spirit of the Holy God is in him. 19:22 And I told the dream before him, saying: 'Belteshazzar, chief of 19:25 the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God 19:28 is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the 19:32 visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.'" 19:36 By the way, as some of you in your Bibles, it'll say, "I know 19:39 the spirit of the holy God is in you," is that right? 19:42 Some of you it says, "God," some is singular. 19:44 That word can be either singular or plural, 19:47 depending on the context. 19:48 So, he may have said, "The spirit of the holy gods, or God 19:52 is in you," but I think that because everywhere else in the 19:56 chapter he says, 'His dominion the Most High rules," 19:59 whenever Nebuchadnezzar talks about God, 20:02 the other places he uses the singular. 20:04 We think he has been converted from polytheism 20:07 to monotheism in this chapter. 20:10 And he has come to realize the gods of Babylon 20:12 are powerless and it's the Holy God. 20:16 He says, "I've had this dream. 20:18 These were the visions of my head while on my bed," 20:22 and then he describes a dream. 20:24 I'll read it to you once again. 20:26 I'm in chapter 4, verse 10 of Daniel. 20:28 "I was looking, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, 20:32 and its height was great. 20:33 The tree grew and became strong; Its height reached to the 20:37 heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of all the earth. 20:40 Its leaves were lovely, its fruit abundant, 20:44 and in it was food for all. 20:46 The beasts of the field found shade under it, the birds of the 20:49 heavens dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. 20:54 While I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, there 20:58 was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. 21:01 And he cried aloud and said thus: 'Chop down the tree 21:05 and cut off its branches, strip off its leaves 21:08 and scatter its fruit. 21:10 Let the beasts get out from under it, 21:12 and the birds from its branches. 21:14 Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth, bound with 21:18 a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. 21:25 Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze 21:28 with the beasts and on the grass of the earth. 21:32 Let his heart be changed from that of a man, let him be given 21:35 the heart of a beast, and let seven times pass over him. 21:40 This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the 21:43 sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order," this is all 21:46 happening, "that the living may know that the Most High rules in 21:51 the kingdom of men," sometimes we think we rule, "and gives it 21:55 to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men." 21:59 Just because God gives us a position of authority doesn't 22:02 mean we should be proud because God sets over the lowest of men. 22:06 Now, notice something, the decree is that he's going 22:10 to go from the heart of a man to the heart of a beast. 22:14 When you get to Daniel chapter 7, 22:17 you've got these seven animals. 22:19 You remember what they are? 22:21 I know I'm jumping ahead, but this ties together here. 22:24 What's the first animal? 22:26 Lion, and the bear, leopard, and this nondescript monster beast. 22:34 So, who is the lion? Babylon starts out as a beast. 22:42 But what happens to that lion? 22:44 It says a man's heart is given to it and it stands 22:48 on its feet like a man. 22:50 Nebuchadnezzar is babbling. 22:53 In this parable here, he goes from man to beast. 22:56 In Daniel, it says he was converted, 22:59 he went from beast to man. 23:01 Have you noticed that? 23:03 And so, the end of the story he is glorifying God. 23:08 Man was made originally, how? 23:11 In the image of God, but with the fall, what happened? 23:15 Started to act like beasts. 23:18 The purpose of the devil is to erase the image of God from men. 23:23 The most lost men in the Bible, have you read it in chapter 5 23:26 of Mark about the demoniac? 23:28 He is the most hopeless case in the Bible, surrounded by pigs, 23:32 living in a tomb, covered with chains, naked, cutting himself, 23:35 crying aloud, running around like an animal 'cause this is 23:40 what the devil wants to do is turn men into beasts. 23:44 You know, you can find examples of this in several 23:48 places in the Bible. 23:50 You look 1 Corinthians 15, verse 32, Paul says, "If in the manner 23:54 of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus." 23:58 What Paul is saying that I went into a pit, and I fought with 24:01 wild lions, and beasts, and bears and--no, saying the people 24:05 that he worked with were beasts that he fought with in Ephesus. 24:09 Look at 2 Peter 2, verse 12, "But these, like natural brute 24:14 beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil 24:18 of the things they do not understand, and will utterly 24:20 perish in their own corruption." 24:22 Romans 8:13 ties it all for us. 24:24 "If you live according to the flesh, a beast, you will die; 24:29 but by the Spirit like the Son of Man," says you will put 24:33 to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 24:37 And so, what you have here is you get this transition of 24:40 someone who is supposed to be a king, made in the image of God, 24:44 but because of pride, he becomes a beast. 24:48 This is what you see happening all through the Bible. 24:50 People like Esau say, "I'm going to sell my birthright because 24:52 I'm controlled by the flesh instead of the Spirit." 24:56 Am I making sense? 24:59 That beast-like man that was filled with devils came 25:01 to Jesus, he set him free. 25:03 And his mind, his reason returned to him. 25:06 And so, everybody, we all feel we're part animal 25:09 and we're part Spirit. 25:11 The question is what has control? 25:13 Are we led by the Spirit or the flesh. 25:15 Nebuchadnezzar, because of pride, 25:18 ends up becoming like a beast. 25:20 Now, I know I'm not going through the exact sections 25:22 of the lesson, but you'll see what we'll be covering them all. 25:25 I'm just mixing them up a little bit. 25:27 And he says here, "Until he knows, you're going to go 25:30 through this seven times will pass over you until you know 25:34 the Most High rules in the kingdom of men 25:36 and gives it to whoever He will." 25:39 Verse 18, Daniel 4, "This dream I, 25:42 Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. 25:43 Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all 25:46 the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me 25:49 the interpretation; but you are able, for the 25:51 Spirit of the Holy God is in you. 25:54 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar," it says it 25:57 several times, "was astonished for a time." 25:59 It doesn't mean he was flummoxed that he didn't know. 26:03 He is quiet and he's thinking, "Wow, this is going to be heavy. 26:06 How do I tell the king this?" 26:09 He knows what it says. 26:11 It's like when the baker says to Joseph, "I've had this dream 26:15 and the ravens pluck the food off my head," Joseph's 26:18 thinking, "How do I tell this guy you're going to 26:20 lose your head in three days?" 26:22 It's not easy. He does tell him. 26:25 Remember, Samuel got a dream. 26:28 The little boy, he's told to go tell Eli that, "your sons are 26:33 going to die in one day, and your house is going to be cursed 26:37 because you did not follow me and your sons live like beasts." 26:41 That's pretty much what it says. 26:43 Samuel didn't want to give that message, and 26:47 Daniel doesn't want to tell the king. 26:48 It's not happy. 26:50 I mean, sometimes prophets have to give a tough message. 26:53 It cost John the Baptist his head. 26:56 "Daniel was astonished for a time, his thoughts troubled him. 26:59 So the King said, "Belteshazzar, don't be troubled. 27:03 I can tell from your expression," I'm paraphrasing, 27:06 "You know what it means." What is the interpretation? 27:10 He said, 'My Lord, the dream concerns those who hates you. 27:14 Its interpretation concerns your enemies. 27:17 This is going to make your enemies happy. 27:19 The tree that you saw that grew and became strong whose height 27:22 reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth, 27:26 whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was 27:29 food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, 27:32 and in whose branches the birds of the heaven 27:34 had their home, it is you, O king." 27:36 Now, doesn't that sound like chapter 2 where he says, 27:38 "Nebuchadnezzar, you are the head of gold"? 27:40 That made Nebuchadnezzar feel pretty good, and this makes 27:44 Nebuchadnezzar feel apprehensive because he knows it's nice, 27:47 I'm a big tree, but I know what happens to that tree. 27:51 And the same way Daniel said another kingdom will follow you, 27:54 now Daniel says you're going to get chopped down. 27:57 But there's also a good part. 28:00 It says the stump is left in the earth. 28:05 "It is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; 28:08 for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, 28:10 and your dominion to the end of the earth. 28:13 And in that you saw a holy one coming down saying, 28:16 'Chop down the tree.'" 28:19 And that angel's name was Paul Bunyan. 28:23 "But leave its stump and its roots in the earth, 28:26 bound with a band of iron and bronze. 28:29 In the tender grass of the field, let it be wet 28:32 with the dew of heaven." 28:33 Now, I want to pause here and tell you, I speak to you as one 28:38 who has cut down many trees and I know something about trees. 28:43 There are some trees you cut them down and they are dead. 28:47 You cut down a fir tree, it ain't coming back. 28:50 But if you cut down a madrone tree and some trees, if the 28:53 ground is still moist and the roots stay alive, a whole other 28:57 tree can come out of the roots of that tree in the same spot. 29:02 If the roots are dry and dead then you know it says root 29:05 and branch that means it's gone. 29:08 So, this is some kind of tree that has the the ability 29:10 to spring up from the roots. 29:12 I've cut down oak trees before, and those things, they're just, 29:16 they drive you crazy because instead of one tree coming up, 29:18 ten come up where you cut down that one. 29:21 I can take you to places in the woods where I logged some oaks 29:24 years ago, and I cut down one tree and now there's just like, 29:28 all these trees came out. 29:29 You've probably seen them before. 29:31 They all get big. They all branch out. 29:33 And this is what he's saying is going to happen. 29:35 The reason that it's bound with a band of iron and bronze, and 29:39 I'm not sure exactly why iron and bronze, but the bands are 29:42 there because when you're working and when you're farming 29:44 and there's a stump, you keep knocking down 29:47 and beaten it down, eventually it'll die. 29:48 It's almost like it's protecting it. 29:51 It's being banded so that it'll stay in one place 29:54 and it'll come back again. 29:57 And again, it doesn't say exactly the species of tree, 29:59 but it's one of those trees that will come back if its moist 30:02 with the dew of heaven. 30:05 And it says, "This is the interpretation, O king, 30:07 verse 24, "the decree of the Most High." 30:11 Again, that's the central theme. 30:13 "which has come upon my lord the king: They shall drive you from 30:16 men, your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field, 30:20 and they'll make you eat grass like oxen. 30:23 You will be wet with the dew of heaven, 30:25 and seven times shall pass over you." 30:29 Now, a time was a complete cycle of the seasons, it meant a year. 30:35 Other places in Daniel and Revelation, it talks about a 30:38 time, a times, and the dividing of time, that meant one complete 30:43 year, a pair, or a couple of years, which is two more, 30:48 and be three, and the dividing of one. 30:49 So, it's three and a half years because you're using the day 30:51 for a year, but you don't use a day for a year in this prophecy 30:55 because it tells you what the fulfillment is. 30:57 Matter of fact, I should probably pause at this point and 31:00 let you know these seven times, this chapter, friends, 31:04 I'll tell you, it is talked about a lot, 31:08 especially among those that like prophecy. 31:11 Many people take the seven times and they apply a day for a year. 31:16 Now, if three-and-a-half years is how many days? 31:21 Every adventist ought to go, "1,260." 31:24 You ought to know that, 42 months, three-and-a-half years, 31:26 it's just 1,260, 1,260, 1,260; so that's a big number. 31:30 How long did Elijah preach? Twelve-sixty. 31:33 How long did Jesus teach? 31:34 Three-and-a-half years: 1,260; 42 months. 31:37 How long does that woman flee in Revelation? 31:39 Forty-two months, three, three-and-a-half years, 1,260. 31:43 It's half of seven. 31:45 How long from the time of the cross until Stephen is stoned? 31:49 Twelve-sixty. 31:51 How long till Vashti is deposed? Have you ever read Esther? 31:56 In the third year of the reign of Ahasuerus, he 31:58 has a feast that is 180 days. 32:02 By the end of that feast, they call forth Vashti 32:04 and she doesn't come, and the process begins 32:07 and they get a Jewish queen. 32:08 It's after three-and-a-half years. 32:10 Three plus one-eighty is how much? 32:14 Twelve-sixty. 32:15 All right, now what if you say seven times, 32:18 not three-and-a-half, but three-and-a-half, 32:20 and three-and-a-half is seven. 32:23 So, what's that? 32:25 Two-thousand five-hundred and twenty. 32:28 Now, a lot of people have taken that time period and said, 32:30 "What if we apply a day for a year? 32:33 What does this mean?" 32:34 And I'll just tell you some of the different theories. 32:36 For those who are watching, people have sometimes taken 32:38 things I say, they cut it and they put it online and they say, 32:43 "Here's what Pastor Doug believes," and they don't have 32:45 my preliminary marks that says, "This isn't what I believe, 32:47 these are beliefs that are out there." 32:49 So, I hope nobody does that. 32:51 The Jehovah Witnesses apply a day for a year, they take 32:54 this time period, and this is what they use to 32:56 predict the Second Coming of the Lord 1914. 32:59 They said that in 607 with the destruction of Jerusalem, 33:02 that's the starting point, if you go 2,520 years, 33:08 that takes you to 1914. 33:10 When Jesus did not come in 1914, I think they 33:13 may have tried to reset the date. 33:15 And then they said, "Well, he did come, 33:16 but it was a spiritual coming." 33:18 Then you've got evangelicals that apply the day for a year, 33:22 Adventists are not the only ones that know 33:24 about a day for a year. 33:25 That's a pretty solid biblical principle. 33:28 A lot of evangelicals say that this is a prophecy that 33:32 is talking about when Nebuchadnezzar's dream takes 33:36 place, which is about 572 B.C., do you know if you go 33:40 from the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in 572 33:42 and you go 2,520 years, it comes to 1948? 33:49 What happened then? Israel's formed as a nation. 33:54 They say Israel was a type of the tree that was cut down 33:57 because Israel is that tree of life that fed all the world. 34:00 And you can understand why they got excited about that. 34:03 And so they look at it as they say, "This is about Israel." 34:07 And then there are others that say it reaches to 1844. 34:14 And it's like everyone picks their starting point. 34:17 William Miller, he had this reaching to 1844. 34:21 And so, everyone picks their kind of, 34:22 their favorite starting point. 34:24 And let me see, yeah, the Miller and there's 34:28 still some people out now that do the 2,520. 34:31 You've probably heard of that. 34:32 They start 677 when King Manasseh was taken to Babylon, 34:35 and they say it starts then, that's an odd place to start it. 34:38 And then it goes to 1844. 34:40 So, there's a lot of people that apply the day 34:42 for the year to this prophecy. 34:43 But should we do that, or do we already know 34:47 what the fulfillment is? 34:48 Does Daniel tell us what the fulfillment is? 34:51 It's King Nebuchadnezzar because these are literal years that are 34:55 in this prophecy and you see the fulfillment of the time in here. 34:59 So, when Daniel explains this to Nebuchadnezzar, 35:03 Nebuchadnezzar is, he's a little worried. 35:10 Daniel is telling the king, "Therefore my advice," 35:15 this is verse 27. 35:17 "My advice to you, O King, break off your sins," 35:21 one of the most important parts of the chapter. 35:23 "Break off your sins by being righteous, doing righteousness, 35:28 and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor." 35:31 Now, you might want to underline that. 35:33 It says, "Perhaps this might be a lengthening 35:35 to your prosperity." 35:37 Let's presume that Daniel is a doctor and he's going 35:39 to tell you now how to lengthen your prosperity. 35:41 How many of you want to lengthen your tranquility? 35:45 Break off your sins by doing righteousness, 35:46 show mercy to the poor. 35:48 The Bible says, "Blessed are the merciful, 35:50 they will obtain mercy." 35:53 It will be a lengthening. Humble yourself. 35:55 It will be a lengthening of your tranquility, 35:59 of your prosperities, is a similar word. 36:02 Nebuchadnezzar probably sat up and 36:04 paid attention to Daniel's advice. 36:05 You don't give a king a lot of advice if it's not asked for. 36:08 But Nebuchadnezzar said, "Okay." 36:11 He behaved himself, and he humbled himself, 36:13 and the dream shook him up. 36:15 Remember, he was scared. 36:17 But after a while, he couldn't help it. 36:20 He's walking after 12 months, I'm in verse 28. 36:23 "All this came upon the King Nebuchadnezzar," and 36:27 he's speaking of himself in like the second person here. 36:30 "At the end of the twelve months he was walking 36:32 about the royal palace of Babylon. 36:35 He's walking about the royal palace, and the king spoke." 36:40 Now, let me just tell you about Babylon 36:42 before I tell you what he said. 36:44 It's called the golden kingdom. 36:46 It's the lion, it's the king of the beasts. 36:49 When you get to the beast, it's the gold 36:50 when you get to the metals. 36:52 One of the seven wonders of the world, the Hanging 36:54 Gardens of Babylon was there of the ancient world. 37:00 By the way, the only surviving memorial in, I think, 37:05 Herodotus had the seven wonders of the ancient world 37:07 is the great pyramids, everything else is gone. 37:09 It's like the Colossus of Rhodes and there was a number 37:11 of Temple of Jupiter and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. 37:15 His wife, Nebuchadnezzar's wife he acquired 37:18 was from the mountains. 37:21 And when she came to the plains of Babylon, 37:23 she just used to get homesick. 37:25 She says, "There's no mountains here. 37:26 It's all flat." 37:28 It's kind of like when you go to the plains of Texas, 37:31 all the mountains are upside down. 37:33 They got these valleys but there's no-- 37:34 everything else is flat. 37:36 And remember some--one of my friends that lived 37:38 in Texas went to California. 37:40 She said, "I couldn't wait to get out of California. 37:41 You can't see anything, there's mountains in the way." 37:46 So, she went and she said, "There's no mountains," 37:49 and she was homesick. 37:50 He said, "I will build you a mountain." 37:53 So, he made this great multi-step pyramid. 37:55 He terraced it with wonderful gardens from the most exotic, 38:00 beautiful plants around the world. 38:02 And it was the climate in Babylon back then wasn't 38:05 as much of the desert as it is today. 38:08 It was a little more mild. 38:10 And he had devised these very ingenious mechanical pumps 38:15 that could be driven that would bring the water 38:16 from the river up to the top, and there were fountains 38:19 that were flowing down. 38:21 And it was described as one of the most beautiful places. 38:22 You walked, and then you could spiral down through 38:25 the gardens on this manmade mountain. 38:28 And so, this is just a small thing. 38:30 Gold was everywhere. 38:32 They said the walls were so high that you could 38:34 ride five chariots abreast, on top of the walls and 38:37 you could turn a chariot around. 38:39 I mean, and there were towers everywhere. 38:42 Many believe Herodotus the historian exaggerated, 38:46 but he said it was 60 miles around the city. 38:51 You know, it says the Nineveh was an exceeding great city 38:54 of three days' journey and the book of Jonah. 38:57 So, there may have been things a little bigger than we can 39:00 even imagine right now, and he's got gold everywhere. 39:04 It's all gold, blended with gold. 39:05 Remember, he had that big statue of gold. 39:07 And so, he wakes up one morning and he's walking around the 39:10 palace, and he sees everything gilded, and sparkling. 39:13 It's wonder, it's inspiring. His musicians are playing. 39:16 He takes a deep breath, he goes, 39:17 "Ha, ha, ha, ha, I built all this. 39:20 Is not this the great Babylon that I have made?" 39:23 Let me give it to you in his own words. 39:28 It tells us here--said verse--yeah, thank you, 39:32 verse 30: "The king spoke, saying, 39:35 'Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal 39:40 dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?'" 39:45 Who does that sound like? 39:47 "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God," 39:51 it's like the devil. 39:52 He is full of himself. He's full of pride. 39:57 What goes before a fall? Pride. 40:01 And no sooner had he said that, "The word was still in 40:03 the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: 40:07 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: 40:10 the kingdom has departed from you!'" 40:12 That fast. 40:15 "And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling 40:17 shall be with the beasts of the field. 40:19 They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall 40:22 pass over you, until you know," you're going to be punished 40:25 seven times, "Until you know that the Most High rules in the 40:29 kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses. 40:31 That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning 40:35 Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men 40:38 and ate grass like oxen." 40:41 He went mad. 40:43 "His body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had 40:46 grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws." 40:49 There's been a few documents that were written and some of 40:53 them are dubious, but one says that one of his servants 40:58 basically was able take charge and hide what had happened to 41:01 the king, and he ruled Babylon for seven years that he didn't 41:04 want anyone to know the king had lost his mind. 41:06 They pretty much hid it from the people and that's why 41:10 his kingdom was preserved. 41:12 He said, Lord puts over the basis to people and when they 41:14 finally discovered that a servant was saying, "Yeah, 41:17 the king says this, the king says that," and sealing 41:18 documents, there was a little conspiracy of servants 41:22 that hid the king's deranged condition for years. 41:26 And when it says his hair became like eagle feathers, it doesn't 41:29 mean that that was a figure of speech when someone's out of 41:32 their mind and they don't trim themselves or hair gets matted, 41:35 and it starts to look like eagle feathers. 41:38 Actually, the the Aramaic version of the Bible in 41:41 this story, it says his hair became like a lion's mane. 41:45 It's actually a different phrase, and his fingernails 41:47 became long and untrimmed, that's all it means. 41:49 It's little claws like eagles. 41:51 He became like an animal, a beast, and people get hungry 41:54 enough, he may not have been eating just alfalfa hay, 41:58 but they start eating weeds and plants in the field. 42:01 And it's amazing that he survived. 42:03 Now, I don't know if you've read the story, 42:07 1738 to 1820 was King George III. 42:12 Have you heard about King George III? 42:15 That's during the time of the American Revolution. 42:17 He was a pretty brilliant guy and he was king. 42:20 But later in his life, they're not sure exactly what 42:22 it was so it could have been some disease. 42:24 It could have been some kind of bipolar disorder. 42:26 But he went crazy, just stark-raving mad. 42:30 And this court was trying to hide it from the people because 42:32 they were going to lose their positions and their power. 42:35 And part of the reason I think this all happened was, it was 42:38 in the midst of all this madness, and bad orders 42:41 that he gave, America was able to obtain its freedom. 42:46 The king went crazy. 42:48 How many of you have heard this in history? 42:50 King George III, yeah, he would start talking 42:54 and he would give 400 words in one sentence. 42:56 And he'd keep talking and talking until 42:58 he wouldn't take a breath. 42:59 He was foaming at the mouth. And he'd go around naked. 43:04 And it just, they don't-- 43:06 Everyone's tried to theorize it was a medical--they said 43:08 that his urine was blue or purple. 43:11 And they say, "Oh, that's typical of this, 43:12 and that can make you crazy." 43:14 And had all these ideas of what happened, but he would 43:17 have these bouts of insanity that would last for months. 43:20 And then all sudden, he'd wake up and he'd start seeming 43:23 coherent and lucid again, and then he died pretty much crazy. 43:30 That's a nice way to put it, but yeah. 43:33 And some of it was dementia at that point. 43:35 But anyway, they hid it from the people so that he could stay on 43:40 the throne, and this is not the first time this has happened. 43:44 It happened with Nebuchadnezzar, of course. 43:46 Now, what was the main reason for his fall? 43:50 "I, I," pride goes before destruction, 43:53 the haughty spirit before a fall. 43:55 What was it that brought down King Herod? 43:58 You know, the Herod--I'm sorry, in Acts chapter 12. 44:03 The people said it's the voice of a God and not a man, 44:06 and he did not give God the glory. 44:07 The angel of the Lord struck him that very moment 44:09 and he died and was eaten of worms. 44:13 Be careful about pride. 44:16 Someone said, "Never are you more like the devil 44:18 than when you're proud." 44:21 And I remember hearing John Knox, the great reformed 44:24 preacher, he was preaching in this church one day 44:27 and after church, folks were greeting him at the door. 44:29 And this lady met him at the door and she said, "Pastor Knox, 44:33 you are the greatest preacher in all of Scotland." 44:37 He said, "I know, madam, the devil tells me 44:38 that all the time." 44:42 And so, what was it that brought down King Uzziah? 44:47 King Uzziah walked into the temple of the Lord, he said, 44:50 "All these other kings, they can go into their temples, 44:52 how come I can't go into the holy place?" 44:54 Not even the most holy place. 44:56 King wasn't supposed to go into the holy place, 44:58 and he got a censer, and he started walking, 45:00 and the priest stopped him and said, "It's not for you, 45:02 Uzziah, it's only for the sons of Aaron." 45:05 He got mad and his pride was offended. 45:09 Leprosy broke out in his forehead, pride. 45:13 What brought down King Saul? 45:15 He was more worried about what the people thought of him 45:18 than what God thought of him, pride. 45:20 Pride is really a form of selfishness, isn't it? 45:24 It's just like selfishness to the extreme. 45:27 It's like these folks in Hollywood, their lives are all 45:29 built around making them idols, and they sit around 45:32 at their cocktail parties, and they talk to each 45:34 other and one person says, "Oh, I'm so sorry, 45:37 I've been talking about nothing but me. 45:39 Let's talk about you. What do you think of me?" 45:44 And pride is an arrow that always points to self. 45:48 Listen to this, Christ's object lessons page 154. 45:52 "The evil that led to Peter's fall and shut out 45:55 the Pharisee from communion with God is proving 45:57 the ruin of thousands today. 46:00 There is nothing so offensive to God, so dangerous 46:04 to the human soul, as pride and self-sufficiency. 46:07 Of all sins, it is the most hopeless 46:09 and the most incurable." 46:12 Well, the good news is that after seven times of 46:15 Nebuchadnezzar living like this, when the time was up, 46:20 his reason was restored. 46:22 He suddenly realized that the dream had come true. 46:24 He looks at himself, he's on all four. 46:26 His fingernails are grown, his hair is dirty, he stinks. 46:30 But his mind is come back. 46:32 And he said, "I guess I wasn't so great." 46:34 You know, the last thing he remembered, 46:35 "Isn't this the great Babylon I've created?" 46:37 He finally wakes up and says, "Now look at me." 46:40 And he came to his senses. 46:43 Martin Luther said, God creates from nothing and 46:45 until we become nothing, he can do nothing with us. 46:49 It's when we humble ourselves he will lift us up. 46:53 As long as we are selfish and proud, it is so hard 46:56 for God to work with us. 46:57 What was the first thing Jesus said to the religious leaders? 47:00 You pray to be seen, you fast to be seen of man, 47:03 you give to be seen of man. 47:05 You're only worried about what people think of you, 47:07 and you don't care what God thinks of you. 47:10 It is the most hopeless thing. 47:11 Until we come to the place where we can humble ourselves, 47:14 there's not much God can do with us. 47:17 Finally, he lifts his eyes to heaven. 47:21 You know, definition of love, 1 Corinthians 13, "Love is 47:24 patient, love is kind, love does not envy, it does not boast. 47:28 It is not proud." 47:30 Jesus, God is love. He is humble. 47:33 Christ said, "He that his greatest among 47:35 you will be your servant. 47:37 He who exalts himself will be humbled, 47:39 but he who humbles himself will be exalted." 47:45 If you look in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If My people who are 47:50 called by My name will," do what? 47:53 "Humble themselves and pray." Then what will God do? 47:57 It starts if you want to have a revival in your life, or in the 48:00 church, or among your people, we gotta humble ourselves. 48:05 It wasn't until the disciples put aside their differences 48:07 and humbled themselves. 48:09 Micah 6:8, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; 48:11 and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, 48:14 to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" 48:20 You know, this to me is such a powerful truth. 48:23 Even King Ahab, after he killed Naboth, and did all these 48:27 terrible things, and persecuted the prophets, he tore his 48:30 clothes after Elijah pronounced judgment on him. 48:33 He wore sackcloth. 48:35 And listen to what God says to Elijah, 1 Kings 21, verse 29. 48:41 "See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me. 48:44 Because he has humbled himself, 48:47 I will not bring calamity in his days." 48:51 When Rehoboam humbled himself, God lengthened his tranquility. 48:56 The Bible says the humble he guides in justice. 49:00 You can read 2 Chronicles 12, verse 6, "So the leaders 49:03 of Israel, the kings, they humble themselves. 49:06 They said, 'The Lord is righteous.' 49:07 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, 49:10 the Word of the Lord came to Shemaiah saying, 49:12 'They've humbled themselves, therefore I will not 49:14 destroy them, but I will give them some deliverance." 49:18 Do you want a lengthening of your tranquility? 49:19 It's a very consistent Bible teaching, humble yourself. 49:23 You know what's stops evangelism? 49:25 Pride. 49:27 Ellen White says if we would humble ourselves before the 49:30 Lord, if we would humble ourselves before the Lord, 49:33 be kind, and courteous, and tenderhearted, and pitiful, 49:36 there would be 100 conversions to the truth 49:39 where now there is only one. 49:41 So, let us humble ourselves before the Lord. 49:45 Nebuchadnezzar's last words, "The heart of the beast is taken 49:48 away and he's given back the heart of a man." 49:52 And he says, "My reason returned to me," in verse 36, "and the 49:57 glory of my kingdom, my honor, my splendor returned to me. 50:00 My counselors and nobles came to me." 50:02 He's counseling others. 50:04 "I was restored to my kingdom and excellent 50:06 majesty was added to me. 50:08 But now I don't take the credit, now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, 50:13 and extol, and honor the king of heaven. 50:16 Doesn't say, "Is this my great Babylon?" 50:18 "All of whose works are truth, and his ways justice. 50:22 And those who walk in pride, he's able to put down." 50:26 And he's saying, "I'm Exhibit A. 50:28 God has given me a position of glory, but I don't glory in it." 50:32 Nothing's more majestic than a great king who is humble. 50:37 Now, who is the greatest king that was the most humble? 50:42 I'll close with this verse, Philippians 2, verse five, 50:46 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, 50:51 who being in the form of God did not consider it 50:54 robbery to be equal with God. 50:56 He's in God's form, he's in equality with God, but made 50:58 Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, 51:03 and coming in the likeness of men. 51:05 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself 51:10 and became obedient to the point of death, 51:12 even the death of the cross. 51:14 Because he did this, therefore God also 51:16 has highly exalted Him." 51:18 He who humbles himself will be exalted. 51:21 "God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above 51:23 every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 51:28 of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those 51:30 under the earth, those in the branches and those 51:33 under the tree, that every tongue should confess that 51:36 Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 51:40 Can you say amen? 51:41 And is Christ now proud of his glory in heaven, 51:44 or is he still humble? 51:46 He's humble still. 51:48 That was a great study and a great story, amen? 51:51 Now, we're out of time, but I want to remind our friends 51:53 that are watching before we go off the air, 51:55 we have a free offer called "The Armor of God." 51:57 We'll send it to you for free. 51:59 You can do call, ask for it, 866-788-3966. 52:04 Or if you want to now you can download it by texting, 52:07 just fill in the information, text SH101, text that to 40544, 52:14 ask for Offer 173 when you write. 52:17 That's a gift from us to you. 52:20 Let's close with prayer. 52:23 Father in heaven, we thank you for this magnificent story 52:26 in the Bible that it just tells us about the battle between 52:30 pride and humility, what the consequences are, 52:33 and ultimately, only you deserve the glory and 52:36 the honor as the High God. 52:38 Lord, I pray that we can learn the lesson of Nebuchadnezzar 52:41 without having to go through that experience. 52:45 And I pray that you'll bless us with the mind of Christ. 52:48 Be with us in our service that follows, please bless 52:51 the offering we're about to receive. 52:53 And we thank you for all of your goodness. 52:55 In Jesus's name we pray, amen. 52:59 male announcer: Don't forget to request today's 53:01 life-changing free resource. 53:03 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 53:05 you can download a digital copy straight to your 53:07 computer or mobile device. 53:09 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, simply text 53:12 the keyword on your screen to 40544 or visit 53:16 the web address shown on your screen. 53:18 And be sure to select that digital download option 53:21 on the request page. 53:22 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word 53:25 with Amazing Facts wherever and whenever you want. 53:28 And most important, to share it with others. 53:36 announcer: Amazing Facts, "Changed Lives." 53:46 Steve Johnson: I was heading south on Interstate 5. 53:48 This commercial come on KFBK radio about a revelation 53:53 seminar by Amazing Facts. 53:55 I began--my chest began to tighten up. 53:58 I began sweating profusely. I had difficulty in breathing. 54:03 There was this big rest area and at this time, I pulled into 54:06 there I thought, well, maybe I'm having a heart attack. 54:09 I got out of my truck, walked into the men's restroom there, 54:13 and put cold water on my face. 54:15 And then finally things subsided. 54:17 A week later, again, I heard this Amazing Facts 54:20 commercial come on the radio. 54:21 In fact, the meetings were going to start that very night. 54:24 And again, immediately I had these same symptoms. 54:28 I thought, you know, this isn't my heart. 54:30 I have to go to that meeting. 54:32 And as I was going down to Sacramento, 54:34 I decided to park and go inside. 54:38 Well, I got in and walked into the furthermost rear seat 54:42 they had in the pew there. 54:44 And this particular evangelist, his name was Kim Kjaer. 54:51 It was like taking one layer off at a time of an onion. 54:55 He laid it out so perfectly that we could all understand it. 54:58 And I was really motivated. I couldn't believe it. 55:00 Well, I finished, I didn't miss a meeting. 55:02 In fact, on the fifth night they had an altar call and my knees 55:07 stood right up, and I walked forward and 55:09 I gave my heart to Jesus Christ. 55:12 I've learned throughout this whole thing that when you 55:16 leave the devil's territory, he gets pretty active 55:19 and causing a lot of problems. 55:22 Well, I had the evangelists come out, and they had prayer 55:25 with me about my business, I would find a sick business 55:29 and make it well, and then market it. 55:32 I finally ended up with a business that I really enjoyed. 55:36 It was one that was building equestrian centers. 55:39 And they said to me, "Steve," he said, 55:41 "You know, if you're going to really keep the Sabbath, 55:43 you've got to shut your doors on the Sabbath." 55:45 Well, I did. 55:47 And so, I sold the business to my brother, took me 22 years 55:50 to build that business, and he lost it in 33 months. 55:55 My son, who was my business partner, I've been giving 55:58 him 10% of the business here every year. 56:01 He thought I just fallen off the bridge. 56:05 My son didn't talk to me for five-and-a-half years. 56:09 And then a few other things happened. 56:11 So, I had an ex-employee living in my guest house, 56:13 he kind of watched after our place. 56:16 And he said, "Steve," he said, "There's an Allied moving van 56:20 backed up to your front door in your home." 56:22 I said, "You're kidding." I said, "What do you mean?" 56:25 He said, "They're moving everything out of your house 56:27 into this truck, and your wife is out there supervising them." 56:31 And when I went home and opened the front door, 56:34 my voice echoed in that house. 56:35 There wasn't any furniture left anywhere. 56:37 There was one bed left in the house. 56:40 I knew my wife was upset because of my coming to this church, 56:45 but I had no idea that she would move out like this. 56:48 That was a total shock to me. 56:50 It was some time there I locked myself in the bedroom, 56:53 and I began reading the Bible. 56:55 I spent about a half a year just every night getting home, 56:58 and I would study. 57:01 It allowed me to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 57:05 Well, to make a long story short, I met Crystal, 57:08 and she was a godly woman. 57:11 That was the Lord's doing, not mine. 57:13 And he was just there to let me know that, 57:15 "I'm with you all the way." 57:17 Even though you're going to have some trials, you're going to 57:18 have some hardships, I want you to know that I'll be with you." 57:23 Because no matter what I do know, he is my leader. 57:27 He's the leader of my marriage. 57:29 He's the leader of everything in my life today. 57:32 That one meeting with the Amazing Facts seminar 57:34 changed my entire life. 57:37 And to this day, I'm still on fire for God. 57:40 I'm still witnessing to my neighbors. 57:42 My name is Steve Johnson, and it's because of you 57:45 that Amazing Facts has changed my life. 57:48 ♪♪♪ 57:55 ♪♪♪ 58:05 ♪♪♪ 58:15 ♪♪♪ |
Revised 2020-01-22