Posts Tagged 'End Times'

How to be a Bible Scholar, Part 5

Published July 8, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: , , ,

The Age to Come

7.  The Dispensation of Divine Government, or the Millennium

Those who don’t believe in the Millennial Kingdom conveniently forget Ephesians 1:9—10—

And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

This is the purpose of this 7th dispensation, which will begin following the literal, visible, and physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth, ending both the Present Age and the Dispensation of Grace.  Just prior to the Second Coming of Christ, there will a time of unparalleled misery on parts of the earth.  This time of God’s wrath will last 7 years and will begin following the rapture of the Church, and is known as “The Tribulation.”  The Second Coming of Christ then, will be the event that will conclude the Tribulation, the Present Age and the 6th dispensation.

The doctrine of the Millennium, ignored, disbelieved or at least misunderstood by many mainline denominations is, in fact, a key ingredient in God’s marvelous plan of salvation.  Salvation is far broader in scope than just saving the sinner from his sins.  God, having secured our redemption through the finished work of Christ on the Cross, purposes in the Age to Come to continue displaying His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ—

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  (Ephesians 2:6—7)

However, it must be stressed that the Cross is the undisputed centerpiece of God’s great eternal plan and everything of the past looked forward to it, and everything in the future will look back to it.

The Kingdom Doctrine

The Kingdom of God in the Old Testament was a promise to be fulfilled.  Under the Law, with all of its ordinances and demands, the Kingdom was barely seen in type and shadow.  During our present dispensation of grace, the Kingdom is being established in its spiritual sense.  Indeed, the Kingdom of God is here now, even though its material elements are lacking and because of Satan’s corrupting interference there is a mixture of good and evil within the Kingdom at this moment (Matthew 13).

The terms “Kingdom of Heaven” in Matthew and “Kingdom of God” in Mark and Luke are identical and refer to this present dispensation of the Gospel, and those who respond to the preaching of the Gospel enter into the Kingdom by their new birth.  The Kingdom of God is being built now, actually and spiritually, but God is not yet glorified on the earth as He should be and will be.  Consider this phrase in the Lord’s Prayer—

[Y]our kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  (Matthew 6:10)

This part of the prayer is yet unanswered.  It will be answered when Jesus Christ returns to earth and establishes His Millennial Kingdom.

This dispensation will last 1,000 years and its details are found in Revelation 20:1—7.  This will be a time when Satan will be bound and Christ will reign on the earth.  In Daniel’s vision, found in Daniel 2 and 7, he saw a succession of four world powers that have and will dominate the world during the “times of the Gentiles.”  These four world powers will be followed by the “stone kingdom”—

This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

“The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy.”  (Daniel 2:45)

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.  He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.  (Daniel 7:13-14)

This kingdom will be inaugurated when Christ returns (Revelation 19:1—21) to destroy the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:8) and to judge the nations (Joel 3:9—17).

Form of Government

The earth will be ruled, not as a monarchy, or a democracy, or an autocracy, but as a theocracy, where God Himself will rule, in the Person of His Son.  David, from whose lineage Jesus Christ descended, will have a part in the government, which will be a restoration of Israel, essentially.  Christ also promised His 12 disciples that they would also have a part in His kingdom—

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  (Matthew 19:28)

Seat of Government

The world’s capital during the Millennium will be Jerusalem.

In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established s chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.

Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob.  He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”  The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will eat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.  (Isaiah 2:2—4)

Chief characteristics of this dispensation

This dispensation will be characterized by the absence of Satan, the archenemy of God; he will be bound for the duration and humanity will be allowed to live under the reign of Christ, willingly submitting to His rule of law.  The spiritual conditions on the earth during the Millennium will be the exact opposite to what we have now.  Joel 2:28—29 will see its complete fulfillment as the Holy Spirit poured out like we have never experienced before.

During the Millennium knowledge of the Lord will be universal (Zechariah 8:22—23; Isaiah 11:9; Jeremiah 31:34).  Today, evil prevails and many nations are in a kind of spiritual darkness, but in the Age to Come, conditions will be reversed.

God’s glory will be manifested for all to see overshadowing the city of Jerusalem.  The prophet Ezekiel saw the glory of God departing gradually from the temple and city of Jerusalem and eventually disappearing altogether during one of Israel’s darkest times of idolatry (Ezekiel 9:3; 10:4; 10:18; 11:23).  But he also saw the glory of God returning filling the Millennial temple and God’s Shekinah glory will be continually hovering over Jerusalem (Ezekiel 43:1—5; Isaiah 4:5—6).

There will be universal peace during the Millennium and all human beings will prosper like never before because there will be no more taxation, no more governments to prop up, no military to fund, no social programs that suck money out of the pockets of citizens.

Land and animals will also be changed during the Millennium, and man will once again live to a great age like we see in Genesis (Isaiah 65:20—22; Zechariah 8:4).

How it will end

Like every single previous dispensation, the Millennial Dispensation will end in one final failure of mankind.  When Satan is released, he will find many, many human beings, living under the reign of Christ, ready and willing to follow him.  This will be mankind’s final rebellion against God, and His judgment against man, Satan, and his minions will be swift, terrible, and final.

Summary of dispensations

Dispensations are the way God has been testing man since the days of Adam.  Man under the state of innocence, under his conscience, under human government, during the promise and perfect law, under grace and even in a perfect environment like the Millennium, man is a total failure apart from God.  Man needs salvation, which can come only from God Himself.

Rightly Dividing the Word:  The Judgments

In the Minister’s Handbook, these are common words that are read at most graveside services:

“…waiting for the resurrection and the general judgment.”

That erroneous statement, repeated for generations, has led many Christians, pastors included, to think that the world will be converted by the preaching of the Gospel and then the Millennium will be ushered in.  After the thousand years are up, the dead, righteous and wicked, of all ages and dispensations will be brought to stand before the throne of God and judged for eternal life.

This is a completely unbiblical position.  The Bible speaks of no less than three thrones or judgment seats:

  1. The judgment seat (bema) of Christ in the heavenlies, 2 Corinthians 5:10.  Only believers will be present there.
  2. The throne of Christ on the earth where He will sit as the Millennial King to judge and rule over the nations, Matthew 25:31—32; Luke 1:32.
  3. The great white throne in heaven, before which the unsaved, wicked dead will be summoned to stand, Revelation 20:11—12.

Furthermore, the Bible teaches that there are seven judgments or phases of judgment, which will include every created intelligent being.   Every Christian will pass through a three-fold judgment, either personally or on his behalf.  The three-fold judgment is:  (1)  as a sinner, Christ was judged on his behalf on the Cross; (2) as a son in the family he is being judged (disciplined) by a faithful heavenly Father; (3) as a servant he will be judged in the presence of the Owner of the Vineyard as to his conduct in the vineyard.

All the judgments of Scripture

1.  Judgment of the Believer’s Sin, John 5:24

This was accomplished on the Cross where the sins of the world were laid upon Jesus Christ, who as the Lamb of God bore them away (1 John 2:2; Hebrews 10:10).  Christ suffered the penalty due the sinner, met the just claims of God against the sinner for breaking God’s law, and justified the sinner.

2.  Believer’s Judgment of Himself, 1 Corinthians 11:31—32

This principle, applied to the Corinthian church, is applicable to all believers.  This judgment sees the believer as a son in the Father’s house.  Judgment will come to the child of God for lack of obedience to God’s Word, for failure to confess sin or acknowledge fault before God, and, if necessary before his fellow believers (1 John 1:9; 3:20—22; James 5:16).  The Holy Spirit applies the Word of God as we read it and as we wait in prayer before the Lord.  However, when we fail to measure our lives by the Word and fail to heed the Holy Spirit as He speaks to our hearts, the discipline of God will come into our lives, not as a punitive measure, not as a rejection, but as a way to cause us to see the errors in our way.

3.  The Judgment Seat of Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:10

This is not a trial to see who is saved or not, but rather it is a judgment of the saved only with the purpose of distributing or withholding rewards for faithful service (see 1 Corinthians 3:11—15, and also 1 John 2:28).

4.  The Judgment of Israel,

The nation of Israel holds a unique covenant with God based on His choice of them to be His witnesses among the nations (Isaiah 43:20; Romans 3:1—2).   In addition, God had ordained that from Israel would salvation, both in Messiah and in the nation directly, when it is completely restored to God’s full favor and is again a blessing.   In the bounds of this covenant, God refers to the nation of Israel as His sons (Isaiah 43:6) and deals with the nation as a whole as a father would deal with an errant son; He chastises them for their disobedience, yet never ceases to love them.   Stephen’s inspired indictment of Israel in Acts 7 is only too true, and consequently God’s hand of judgment has been on them for a long time.

From among the mass of unbelieving Jews living apostate lives, God has been slowly gather “a remnant,” made up of faithful and believing Jews known to Himself (Romans 11:5).  Virtually all Israel has rejected God in favor of being like all the secular nations around them, just like in the days of Samuel and Saul.  When God sent Israel their promised Messiah in the Person of Jesus Christ, they rejected Him, and even after His redemptive work had been completed and salvation offered to all who would believe, the nation refused the conviction of the Holy Spirit, rejected His messengers, and their rebellion brought about the terrible judgment of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD and their subsequent dispersion among the nations of the world.

However, God has promised to regather them at some point in the future, but first they must be brought into a position of repentance.  The current nation of Israel and the so-called Zionest movement among evangelical churches that seeks to restore the nation of Israel using political means is not the promised regathering of Israel.  When Israel is restored, it will happen only after it has suffered the horrors of the Tribulation and the remnant brought to its knees in repentance.

5.  The Judgment of the Nations, Matthew 25:1—46

Matthew 25 records this essence of this judgment, which will be, not of individuals, but of nations, and will occur on the earth, after the Tribulation, just before the Millennium take place.  The sheep represent one class of nations, the goats another class, and results of this judgment will be determined by how nations treated the Jews, Christ’s brothers.  The principle from which this judgment is drawn was laid down thousands of years ago when God covenanted with Abraham to bless nations that blessed him and to curse nations that did not (Genesis 12:1—3).

6.  Judgment of the Unsaved, Revelation 20:11—15

This terrible judgment will take place as the close of the Millennium, 1,000 years after the Judgment of the Nations.  This judgment will not take place on earth, but in heaven.  This judgment is necessary to pass sentence on all who refused God’s gracious gift of salvation while they were alive on the earth.  There will be degrees of punishment; the unsaved will be judged according to their works, which will have been recorded in order to determine their degree of punishment.

7.  Judgment of the Angels, Jude 6

This judgment will likely take place some time during the Judgment of the Unsaved, at the close of the Millennium.   Satan and some of his angels have limited freedom now, while some demons are kept in confinement because of the seriousness of their transgressions (Jude 6, Genesis 6:1—5).  Satan, bound during the Millennium then let loose once again, will meet his final destiny in the Lake of Fire.

(c)  2009 WitzEnd

Studies in Daniel and Revelation

Published February 18, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , ,

The Rapture of the Church

With Revelation 4, the scene shifts from Patmos, the island of John’s exile, to Heaven.

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” (4:1)

The phrase “after this” refers to John’s vision of Christ in the midst of the seven candlesticks, that is, after “Church Age.” We are living in the Church Age today, sometimes referred to as the “Age of Grace.” This present age began with the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost and will continue until the Church is removed by way of the rapture. The doctrine of the rapture of Church refers to the catching away of all true believers in Christ to meet Him in the air. This amazing event is clearly taught in the following Scriptures:

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:13—17;
  • 1 Corinthians 15:23, 51—58;
  • Philippians 3:20—21;
  • John 14:1—3;
  • Luke 21:34—36;
  • Colossians 3:4

What John experienced when Jesus said to him, “Come up here” is a type or foreshadow of the Rapture of the Church. It must have been similar to what the apostle Paul experienced in 2 Corinthians 12:2—4. In Paul’s case, however, he was told not to tell anybody what he saw and heard, while John was told write down everything he was shown in a letter to the seven churches.

1. Ties up lose ends of Scripture

Chapter 4 of Revelation is essential because it serves to tie up some troublesome lose ends of Scripture. In Matthew 16:13-28, we read Christ’s “foundational statement” concerning the Church:

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:17—18)

A few verses after that, Jesus told His disciples this:

I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. (Matthew 16:28)

This interesting verse finds its fulfillment in John’s being caught up to heaven, raptured, and in a vision, seeing before his death what he would have witnessed and experienced if he had lived to see Jesus return. In other words, John was allowed to live, until, in vision, he saw the return of the Lord.

2. Rapture vs. The Second Coming

The Rapture of the Church is referred to as “the coming of the Lord” but never is it referred to, nor should it ever be referred to, as “the Second Coming of Christ.” At the Rapture, Christ will not appear visibly to people on the Earth but rather He comes in the air, above the Earth, to “catch up” the dead and living saints, who will rise together to meet the Lord in the air.

The Rapture is strictly a New Testament doctrine and was revealed first to Paul in a special revelation in 1 Corinthians 15:51—58. The doctrine of the Second Coming is not only a New Testament doctrine, but one of the chief messages of the Old Testament prophets. Those prophets never saw the Church (and therefore never saw the Rapture, which concerns the Church), but they did see the coming of the Messiah.

The Rapture and the Second Coming will be separated by at least seven years. After the Rapture and during the Tribulation, the saints will be in Heaven with God, not merely hanging around in the air. The saints will return with Christ to reign as kings and priests with Him (Jude 14; Revelation 19:14; Zechariah 14:5). Christ first comes for His saints, then He returns to the Earth with His saints. The Rapture happens first, the Second Coming after the Rapture, separated by the Tribulation.

3. Purpose of the Rapture

In its simplest terms, the purpose of the Rapture is to collect the righteous dead and to remove them, along with the living saints of God, out of the world before the Tribulation begins. There must be a “rapture” in order to fulfill what Jesus said in Luke 21:36a—

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen.

The phrase “all that is to happen” refers to all the things Jesus taught in Matthew 24 and 25; Luke 21:1—19, 25—28.

This Rapture will occur before the Tribulation begins, and will be the first in a series of raptures that will take place throughout this seven-year period. There will be the following “smaller” raptures:

  • The rapture of the male child in the middle of the Tribulation, Rev. 7:1—3; 12:5; 14:1—5
  • The rapture of the Tribulation saints, Rev. 6:9—11- 7:9—17; 15:2—4; 20:4—6.
  • The rapture of the two witnesses at the end of the Tribulation, Rev. 11:3—11.

Daniel 7: Four Beasts and a Little Horn

Daniel 1—6 covers the history of the prophet in Babylon, including his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams and Belshazzar’s vision. Beginning with chapter 7, we read of Daniel’s visions, which concern world events from his day to the Second Coming of Christ to the final state. These visions are all interpreted by God to Daniel so there can be no doubt as to what they mean.

Chronologically, chapter 7 belongs between chapters 4 and 5. It is possible that chapters 1—6 and chapters 7—12 are grouped together thematically; the first six chapters cover Daniel’s history, and the last six chapters cover Daniel’s visions.

Chapter 7 covers essentially the same ground as chapter 2, taking in the “times of the Gentiles,” beginning with Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon and ending with the overthrow of man’s dominion of the Earth by Christ at His return and the founding of His eternal kingdom. There is a difference between chapters 2 and 7, however, and it is that Nebuchadnezzar’s dream covers the times of the Gentiles from man’s perspective but in Daniel’s visions we have the same material covered from God’s perspective. This becomes apparent when in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream he is pictured regally, as a head of gold topping a massive statue, whereas in chapter 7 the Gentile nations are viewed as wild, ravenous beasts.

There is nothing new in this, however. Every nation glories in its achievements and builds statues and names buildings after its prominent leaders and engages in self-congratulatory ceremonies, like having holidays in honor of politicians or certain citizens. But these same nations, viewed from Heaven, are pictured quite differently. Psalm 49:12 paints the true image of man—

But man, despite his riches, does not endure;
he is like the beasts that perish.

1, The Four Beasts, 7:1—27

There is no mystery in what Daniel saw, as God tells the prophet plainly what he saw:

The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. (7:17)

We are not free to interpret God’s interpretation of these visions, nor are we free to change the literal to the symbolic or vice versa. We are to take chapter 7 at face value, adding nothing to it and taking nothing away from it. Daniel’s vision is recorded in Daniel 7:1—14 and the only interpretation is given in Daniel 7:15—28.

Before looking at each beast, here are all the symbols and what they mean:

  • Winds denote wars, strife, and judgments from God (Jer. 25:32—33; Rev. 7:1—3; cf. Rev. 8:7—13; Dan. 7:1—3).
  • Seas represent people (Rev. 17:15).
  • Beasts represent nations and rulers (Dan. 7:17; 8:20—23; Rev. 13:1—18; 17:8—18).
  • Heads also represent nations (Dan. 7:6; 8:20—23; Rev. 17:8—17).
  • Horns represent kings or rulers of empires or nations (Dan. 7:23—24; Rev. 17:12—17).

(a) The Lion, 7:4

The lion symbolizes Babylon, as did the head of gold on the statue of Daniel 2:38—46. It was fitting that Babylon was symbolized by both the king of beasts and the king of birds. The wings on the lion showed how fast Babylon conquered other nations (Hab. 1:6—8; Ezek. 17:1—24). These wings were plucked and the lion then stood and walked like a man, suggesting that at some point in its history Babylon lost its ambition and began to wallow in its self-sufficiency, Daniel 5.

(b) The Bear, 7:5

The bear-like creature symbolizes the Medes and Persians, as the silver did in the statue of chapter 2. It raised itself up on one side representing the greater military strength and influence of the Persians. The three ribs in its mouth represent the Median-Persian conquest of Babylon and Egypt. This empire is mentioned in Daniel 5:24—31; 6:1—28; 7:5, 17; 18:1—4, 20; 10:1—20; 11:1—2; Isaiah 13:17—22; 21:2; 2 Kings 17:6; 18:11; Esther 2:6.

(c) The Leopard, 7:6

Like the brass in the image of chapter 2, the leopard here represents Greece. It had four wings representing the swiftness of the conquests of Alexander. It also had four heads which represent the four divisions of the empire at Alexander’s death. This empire is mentioned in Daniel 2:32, 35, 39, 45; 7:6; 8:5—25; 10:20; 11:3—45; Zechariah 8:13.

(d) The Strange Beast, 7:7—8

This unusual beast symbolizes Rome, as the iron did in the statue of Daniel 2. It had great iron teeth and was strong, for it broke all the beasts to pieces. It had ten horns and later another little horn, making eleven horns all together. The beast itself represents the old Roman Empire.

(e) The Ten Horns, 7:8, 20, 24

These ten horns represent ten empires that will emerge from the territory of the Old Roman Empire in the last days and will be in existence at the Second Coming of Christ. These ten horns correspond to the ten toes of chapter 2 and the ten horns on the beast and dragon in Revelation 12:3; 13:1—4; 17:8—17.

(f) The Little Horn, 7:8, 20—27

Read carefully 7:24—

The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.

This “little horn,” another king, will come to prominence some time in the future; he is the same as the “beast” of Revelation 13. This “little horn” is called different names by different people, but all are referring to the same person:

  • The Assyrian, Isaiah 10:5—6; 14:24—25; 30:27—33.
  • The Wicked, Isaiah 11:4.
  • King of Babylon, Isaiah 14:4.
  • Lucifer, Isaiah 14:2.
  • King of Tyre, Ezekiel 28:11—19
  • The Little Horn, Daniel 7:8; 8:9—12.
  • A Fierce Looking King, Daniel 8:23
  • The Prince That Shall Come, Daniel 9:26
  • The Willful King, Daniel 11:36
  • The Man of Sin, 2 Thessalonians 2:3—8
  • Son of Perdition, 2 Thessalonians 2:3—8
  • That Wicked, 2 Thessalonians 2:3—8
  • Antichrist, 1 John 2:18
  • The Beast, Revelation 13:1—8

It becomes evident that this little horn is, in fact, the Antichrist. He will be the supreme arbiter of Europe during the Tribulation. God will allow him to prosper and to persecute the faithful remnant of Israel and believers during the Tribulation, until the return of Christ with His saints to the Earth.

Studies in Daniel and Revelation

Published January 28, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , ,

Daniel, Part Two

Daniel chapter 2 is, perhaps, in terms of Bible prophecy, the “crown jewel” because it contains the most complete and simple picture of God’s plan for the nations of the world in the whole Bible.

1.  Preliminary Observations

My first observation about chapter 2 concerns the first three verses and is not readily apparent in our English translations.  The first three verses of the chapter are written in Hebrew, but the language switches to Aramaic in verse 4, then switches back to Hebrew with chapter 8.  As to why the change in language, we may only speculate.  The Aramaic chapters, 2:4 to the close of chapter 7, deal with things of major concern to Nebuchadnezzar’s empire, while the Hebrew chapters, 8-12, the future destiny of the Jews is given the emphasis.

My second observation is about Nebuchadnezzar.  At this time in his life, he was in his prime.  He had ascended to the throne as a young man, and his power had been accumulating at an astonishing rate.  Nebuchadnezzar was young and intelligent and thanks to an unusual and imaginative “urban expansion” program in his cities, he had won the favor and the enthusiastic support of religious leaders and the masses.

But Nebuchadnezzar was much more than his accomplishments would suggest.  At this moment in his career, the king of Babylon showed his true greatness by doing something never done before.  Instead of continuing to expand his boarders, Nebuchadnezzar stopped all his military campaigns to consider the meaning of his life and the why he was having so much success.  He was considering his destiny and the future of the empire he had built.

My final observation is that even though this heathen king was in no way a believer in Yahweh, he was God’s chosen instrument to discipline His people, and so God made Nebuchadnezzar the repository of the history of the Gentiles and of God’s entire plan, yet God did it in such a way as to make Daniel, not Nebuchadnezzar, the whom the Lord acknowledged and who enjoyed His divine favor.

2.  Nebchadnezzar’s strange offer

In ancient times it was not unusual or uncommon for kings to attach great importance to dreams.  In fact, ancient man in general was fascinated by the mysterious meanings of their dreams.  Common man had to figure out what they meant on his own, but kings and wealthy men had magicians and diviners who claimed they could interpret dreams.  These were actually professional offices in the courts of pagan nations, and Nebuchadnezzar had many such men at his disposal who could offer some “pre-Freudian” dream analysis.

Naturally, Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men could not interpret his dream, nor could they recount his dream to him.  We cannot be sure if he forgot the dream or if he was testing his wise men, although my feeling is that he genuinely forgot it, but the fact remains that because he could not find the answers he was seeking, the king fell into utter despair.

The first part of chapter 2 is amazingly similar to the story of Joseph.  In both stories, the  king’s dream is interpreted by a king’s prisoner, but in Joseph’s case, the king remembered the dream.  The dream of the Pharaoh concerned the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine in Egypt, whereas Nebuchadnezzar’s dream concerned the nations of this world and the Kingdom of God.  But in each case, the dreams involved the salvation of God’s people from extinction.

Initially, the king did not invite Daniel or his friends to interpret his dream; it was only after he issued a decree that all the wise men in the land were to be killed that the situation came to Daniel’s attention, who by his training was now part of the “wise men” class.  The wise men claimed that only “the gods” could tell Nebuchadnezzar what he wanted to hear.  Daniel volunteered to interpret the dream to the king but first went into prayer to the great Source of all wisdom.   God answered the prayers of Daniel and his three friends and revealed His secret to them   Three things happened to these Hebrews that night:

  • They sought the Lord in prayer, but not before Daniel in faith claimed that he already had the answer or that the answer would be forthcoming.
  • God responded to their earnest prayers and answered them by revealing all in a vision.
  • They responded to God’s response in worship.  This should always be the the result of God’s ministry to the hearts of His people.  In our modern church, we talk a lot about worship and we claim that everything we do is worship to God.  But here we see that prayer is not worship and God’s ministry to us is not worship.  Prayer is asking of God, and ministry is when God gives something to us.  Worship comes after we have asked, and after God has given and our hearts are overflowing with praise and adoration.

With seemingly unlimited confidence in his God, Daniel went to Arioch and promised that he could deliver what the king needed.

3.  Observations about the dream, 2:31-35

“You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance.  The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.”

In looking at this dream, I make the following general observations.  First, the Gentile nations from Babylon onward are seen by God as a whole unit, that is, they form one statue, they are not seen as individual nations.  All the successive Gentile nations form but one “person” before God.

Second, four imperial powers were to succeed each other, but Nebuchadnezzar, the head of gold, received his authority immediately from God Himself.  All the other nations that followed Babylon were allowed to do so by God’s sovereignty.  The fact that Nebuchadnezzar is seen as the head of gold, the fact that he was given his authority on earth by God Himself is highly symbolic, for in the Babylonian king we see God replacing His authority on earth.  Babylon was the authority on earth established by God.

My third observation is related to the phrase “The God of Heaven,” in verse 37.  God is not seen as the God of Earth, but of Heaven.  In Israel God was the God of the Earth because He dwelt among His people, and He will again be the God of the Earth at the restitution of all things.

That phrase, “the God of Heaven,” is used in only three books of the Old Testament and one in the New Testament:  Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, and Revelation.  Each of the OT references refer to the exact same period of history when God had scattered His people among the nations.  God had forsaken His throne in Jerusalem, the Shekinah glory had gone, never to return again.

But for now, during the time of the Gentiles, God acts sovereignly as the God of Heaven, setting up man in His place on the Earth:

The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all.  (verses 37b-38)

Finally, an observation about man’s dominion of the earth.  The Gentiles, embodied in Nebuchadnezzar, have been given dominion over the earth, similar to the dominion Adam had.  It is, however more limited, since man is not given dominion over the sea.

4.  Daniel’s interpretation, verses 39-45

“After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth.  Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others.  Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay.  As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.  And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.  This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

“The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy.”

The very first thing I notice in Daniel’s interpretation is this exchange:

The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”  Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.”  (verses 26-28)

This speaks volumes about Daniel’s character; he is giving his God the credit.

The second thing I notice is that while God gave this awesome and far reaching dream to Nebuchadnezzar, He promptly made the king forget it; in fact, God drove the king to the very end of his resources because, after all, had Nebuchadnezzar been able to recall the dream, he would never have realized God’s role in it.  This is always the way God deals with human beings.  We have to be brought to the very end of our resources; we are made to realized our awful sinfulness before God saves us.

Ironside remarks that each one of us meets Jesus at the place He was crucified:  Golgotha, the place of the skull.  We all find salvation at the place of death.

As soon as Daniel related the dream to the king, the king realized it was indeed the dream he had forgotten.

Daniel then proceeded with the interpretation, which is covered in verses 39-45.  The image of the statue represents the whole period of the Times of the Gentiles from Daniel’s time to our future.  To Nebuchadnezzar this interpretation must have been somewhat startling as he learned he was merely the first in a long succession of empires that would rise and fall.  The end goal of each Gentile empire was dissolution or destruction under the dominance of the Kingdom of God, which itself can never be dissolved, destroyed or dominated.

In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.  (verse 44)

There are a total of 5 kingdoms in Nebuchadnezzar’s statue and there is some difference of opinion on the identity of some of them.  The traditional conservative, evangelical view is as follows:

  • The first empire, verse 38, is stated in the text as being the Babylonian empire;
  • The fifth, verse 44, is just as clear; it is the kingdom of God;
  • The second, verse 39a is almost probably the Medo-Persian empire;
  • The third, verse 39b is likely Greece under Alexander the Great;
  • The fourth, verse 40, is generally regarded to be Rome.

5.  Ten toes, verses 40-43

Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay.  As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.  And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

Verse 43 has been interpreted as either the weakness of mixed marriages or the rapid decline of society in the collapse of the fourth kingdom (Roy Swim and Birk).  It should also be noted that the statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s vision of chapter 7 are parallel, so that the interpretation of this dream must be determined by the content of that vision.

Up to the toes is past history.  The fourth empire will be another version of the old Roman Empire, which is in abeyance at the present time.  The ten toes of the feet of the statue represent ten kings who will rule at the same time, but who will form a confederacy that will occupy roughly the same territory as the old Roman empire.

Though some commentators see this part of the interpretation in history, a ten-nation confederacy such as Daniel saw has never existed before, especially in view of Daniel’s vision in chapter 7 concerning the ten horns.

The fate of this final Gentile empire is striking:

In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.  This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.  (verses 44-45)

The “rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands” is, of course, Jesus Christ (Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; 28:16; Zechariah 3:9).  Some scholars see this fulfilled when Jesus came the first time, however, the phrase “In the time of those kings” points to a future fulfillment; in the time of ten-kingdom confederacy.  This rock, Daniel said, will fall from heaven, this cannot refer to the baby Jesus being born, but to the glorious Second Coming of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

God has been calling out from these nations a people for Himself–the Church–in advance of the coming of the Rock since the beginning of the “lasts days,” when Jesus returned to be with the Father.  The wrath of God during the Tribulation will be nothing compared to the awful events that will befall those who reject Christ when He literally and physically returns.  No believer will be present on the earth when this event  occurs because Jesus, on the Cross, suffered all the wrath of God in our stead.

Studies in Daniel and Revelation

Published January 21, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , , ,

Daniel, Part One

The book of prophecy and history that the prophet Daniel wrote, that bears his name, has been called one of the most thrilling books in the entire Bible. Despite the fact that we know more about the man Daniel than any of the other prophets, his book has become a lightening rod for debate between conservative and liberal scholars. The prophecies of Daniel that have been fulfilled in history were fulfilled so accurately that liberal scholars, in their blatant attempt to strip the Bible of the miraculous, conclude that the book called “Daniel” is, in fact, a hoax; that somebody concocted an elaborate fiction masquerading as supernatural prophecy. It is not my intention to give more than a passing mention of this; I have studied all the arguments for and against the authenticity of Daniel and I accept the findings of conservative scholars that Daniel, the man and the prophet, was a real man, that he was not a hoaxster, and that his book is not a forgery or a work of fiction. On the point of the liberal abuse foisted upon Daniel, I agree with Pusey:

The rest which has been said is mostly mere insolent assumptions against Scripture, grounded in unbelief.

Incidentally, no less an expert than our Lord, Jesus Christ, believed what Daniel wrote to be true and trustworthy (Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14). So, who is fool enough to question the intelligence of our Lord? Only a liberal would have the arrogance to do such a thing.

1. Daniel, the man and his place in history

Understanding who Daniel was can help us understand the things he saw and wrote. Three key words characterize this man: purpose, prayer, and prophecy (McGee).

1. Daniel was a man of purpose, 1:8; 6:10. Despite being in the minority, Daniel maintained his integrity. Not once, even when faced with death, did this man forsake his faith or his God.

2. Daniel was a man of prayer, 2:17-23; 6:10; 9:3-19. Prayer was a big part of Daniel’s life. Even though prayer got him tossed in the lion’s den, Daniel never stopped.

3. Daniel was a man of prophecy. The entire book of Daniel is one long prophecy, some fulfilled, some not.

Daniel, both the man and the book, are also fulfillments of an earlier prophecy. In Isaiah 39:1-8, we read a prophecy given some 100 years before it came to pass in Daniel 1:

“Hear the word of the LORD Almighty: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” (verses 5-7)

At the time that prophecy was given, it seemed highly unlikely. But because of the unfaithfulness of God’s people, it came to pass. God’s instrument of judgment was the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, and Daniel 1:1 sets the historical context.

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

This king of Judah, Jehoiakim, succeeded his brother Jehoahaz to the throne. Both of these men were the wicked and vile sons of Josiah, a very godly king who was responsible for bringing a religious revival to the nation as recorded in 2 Kings 23:31-37. The year was 606 BC, and Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem. Although not destroyed at this time, he did carry of its treasures and thousands of its citizens. Included in the first group of exiles was Daniel and his three friends.

When Jehoiakim died, his son Jehoiachin took the throne. He fought against Nebuchadnezzar and lost. The Babylonian king, once again, stormed into Jerusalem in 598 BC and took another group of captives back to Babylon with him, including the king and his family. The prophet Ezekiel was among the captives according to 2 Kings 24:6-16.

Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, assumed the throne and, like his nephew, made war against Nebuchadnezzar. This third time was enough for the Babylonian king, who marched into Jerusalem and leveled the temple and burned much of the city. Zedekiah’s sons were slain and the kings eyes gouged out. The blinded king, along with the final deportation, went into captivity around 587 BC, in fulfillment of Jeremiah 25:8-13.

The rest of Daniel’s history is given in chapter one.

It should be stressed that everything that happened to the Hebrews at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar was really a judgment from God upon their stubborn and rebellious hearts. For generations before their Babylonian captivity, God warned His people to shape up and repent. They turned a deaf ear to the prophets and as a result, God chose to use a pagan king to execute His divine judgment on a backslidden people.

2. Israel and its place among the nations

The only nation ordained of God is Israel. Much of the OT is taken up with the building and the establishing of Israel as a nation, it’s rebellion against God, and it’s judgment by God because of its unfaithfulness to Him. Much Bible prophecy concerns either the judgment of Israel or its restoration. The ultimate restoration of Israel, which will occur at the Second Coming of our Lord, is future and yet to be fulfilled. The judgment of Israel at the hands of nations around it is, for the most part, a record of history, though prophetic at the time the OT was written.

Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of the Babylonian nation, is spoken of like this by the Lord, who chose him to be His instrument of judgment:

I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign LORD. (Ezekiel 29:20)

Up until Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian captivity, Israel had been the center of a system of nations, peoples, and languages that had been the result of God’s judgment at Babel. The nation of Israel was separate and distinct from all the nations around it. Deuteronomy 32:8 gives us an inclination of how special and unique Israel was among all the nations of the earth:

When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.

In executing God’s judgment on Israel, God’s people lost their distinctive place among the nations and the “time of the Gentiles,” the time of Gentile dominance on the earth, began with Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon.

This is not to say that God has done away with Israel as a nation, for it will be restored according to the words of many prophecies and promises that have never been revoked:

The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. (Deut. 28:13)

Though Israel has been judged severely for her apostasies, there was and is a faithful remnant that God will build upon in His restorative work. In fact, that remnant becomes the special object of the thoughts and plans of God revealed by His Spirit throughout the book of Daniel.

It is not an exaggeration to say that in a general sense, God’s plan for the world throughout all of its ages and dispensations has been with one goal in mind: the restoration of Israel, both as a nation on Earth and as a special, sanctified group of people. In fact, the whole purpose of the Tribulation period is to bring the Hebrew people to the place where they will finally and at last recognize Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as their Messiah.

3. Daniel’s reward for his faithfulness

Daniel and his three friends, taken captive in the first Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem, remained steadfastly devoted to Jehovah, yet at the same time they were given special privileges by the Babylonians and were given positions of trust and leadership in their government. Because of their faithfulness to God, they were not only blessed in the material sense, but also in the spiritual:

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. (1:17)

This is the special privilege of all believers in all dispensations, as is clear from what the Psalmist wrote:

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him. (Psalm 25:14a KJV)

The fact that so many Christians today seem to be so ignorant of “the secret of the Lord” may very well be caused their lack of respect for the Lord.

In this regard, we see in Daniel the same character we saw in Joseph, who was able to interpret the dreams of the Pharaoh to the benefit of the Hebrews. Similarly, the dreams Daniel will interpret will concern, not the dreamer, Nebuchadnezzar, but rather Daniel’s people, the Hebrews.

This is the first great lesson for us from the book of Daniel, and it has nothing to with any prophecy! Purity of heart and faithfulness to God must always precede any revelation or illumination of His Word. Putting head-knowledge ahead of heart-purity will result in a cold and shallow understanding of God and His Word. Trying to grasp the truths of Scripture without being in God’s presence will always disappoint.

This very first chapter of Daniel,then, reminds us that if we want to go on to penetrate and discern all that God has revealed to us the following chapters, we have to make sure that our hearts are right with Him.

4. The beginning of the parade of nations

In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. (2:1)

And so begins the the first major division of the book of Daniel. The book naturally divided into two main sections, three if chapter one is considered a separate section on its own, for it concerns the personal history of Daniel. At any rate, the first division ends with chapter six, and the second division ends with the close of the book.

· Division One, chapters 2-6: Gentile dominance of the world. This first section concerns itself with the various Gentile nations that will dominate the world from Daniel’s day until the very end of days yet in our future. We learn that what moves these nations is not the will of God but human vanity and pride. This parade of nations is revealed to Daniel through the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar.

· Division Two, chapters 7-12: The heads of the Gentile kingdoms. This second half of the book concerns direct revelations from God to Daniel. These visions reveal the character of the rulers of the Gentiles in relation to the people of God.

The details of God’s dealings with His people at the end of the age are revealed in the final chapter. Chapter 7 gives essentially the history of the western powers, chapter 8 that of the eastern–the two horns. Chapter 9, although the emphasis is on Jerusalem and its people, concerns the western power that has invaded them. Chapters 10 to 11 focus on the east with the judgment of the nations there and the establishment of the remnant of Israel.

Next time, we will look at Nebuchadnezzar’s amazing dream and Daniel’s inspired interpretation.

(c)  2009 WitzEnd

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
Bookmark and Share

Another great day!

Click for Coeburn, Virginia Forecast

Blog Stats

  • 408,085 hits

Never miss a new post again.

Subscribe to Mike's Place on the Web by Email

Archives

Email Subscription

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 282 other subscribers
Follow revdocporter on Twitter

Who’d have guessed?

My Conservative Identity:

You are an Anti-government Gunslinger, also known as a libertarian conservative. You believe in smaller government, states’ rights, gun rights, and that, as Reagan once said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

Take the quiz at www.FightLiberals.com

Photobucket