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Daniel #2

            Let’s continue from (Daniel 1:17-21 KJV) ¶ As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus. God gave special gifts to Daniel and his three friends. He gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of the LORD… the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; (Isaiah 11:2 KJV) That is why God gives wisdom, understanding, and might to who have received the Holy Spirit today. Thus creating a spiritually perfect man in a Babylon-like world of today. The Holy Spirit further enables us to serve other saints through the gifts given to those individuals who have received the Holy Spirit. Daniel, along with his friends, are special gifted people. Daniel is said to be a man of wisdom and knowledge comparable to the devil. You need to remember the devil is the wisest being after to God. Therefore, if we do not understand the Word in the Spirit of God, we will lose everything to the devil. That’s why people fail when they are put to the test. Satan is so cunning, that to those who do not thoroughly know the word of God, he will use the word of the Holy Bible to deceive and lead them to temptation.

            Let’s turn to Ezekiel chapter 28. Verse 3 is God speaking to Satan. Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: (Ezekiel 28:3-4 KJV) God told the Devil he is wiser than Daniel. There is no secret they can hide from him. Remember folks: Babylon was a great kingdom at the time. God used Nebuchadnezzar as His instrument to judge Israel. King Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t some weak random person. Current President of United States is nothing compared to him. As the kingdom that ruled over the entire world at the time, God temporarily gave wisdom and power and used it to judge Israel. No matter how wise Daniel was, he was not as wise as the devil. In other words, no one can outsmart the devil. He’ll ultimately fall into the lake of fire at the end of the millennium because he sinned, but the devil is nevertheless a wise being. It was no big deal for the devil, the old serpent to deceive the inhabitants of Garden of Eden. It was a piece of cake for the Devil to fool the man created from dirt. We must remember God made Daniel second only to the devil in wisdom and knowledge. Therefore, the way to overcome the devil is to stand firmly in the Word. You must put on the full armor of God. That is why the apostle Paul exhorts to put on the full armor of God when he wrote to the church in Ephesus. Against those principalities (Babylon) and powers, the rulers of the darkness of the world, and spiritual evil on high. To fight against this put on the full armor of God’s Word, for our fight is not against flesh and blood. It means to be fully armed spiritually from head to toe, and there should be no gaps. If there is a gap in the armor, the sword will come through. It is no wonder Christians get beat up by the Devil daily since they do not learn the word these days. We are told to wear the full body armor, but many Christians today are not wearing them. This is a sin and they do not realize this. They don’t realize that not studying the Bible or not reading the Bible is a sin. Even so, they resent God when they get problems poured upon their lives when they don’t do their part. you have to do what God tells you to do. It’s not an option. Verse 18, the king calls the boys in at the end of ten days. Daniel and the three Hebrew boys are brought before Nebuchadnezzar. The king wanted to see how much these men learned the sciences of Babylon, how much they have been transformed into Babylonian ideology, how brainwashed they have become to be completely loyal to Babylon and the royal palace.

           (Daniel 1:19 KJV) And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. No doubt. Because they have received the Spirit of God and wisdom, they are second only to the devil. These men stood out as they are personally interview by the king himself. They get hired to work at the royal palace. Standing before the king is equivalent to modern day advisors from the White House. People who give direct advice to the king or president in economics, political and social affairs. People like Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs or National Security Advisor or Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, or Civil Affairs. So, standing in front of the Babylonian king at the time was a great honor. But ancient Babylon was much more powerful than today’s America. It is always working by the king’s side, directly advising the king’s dominion, as they stand before the king. They had deeper, meaningful conversations. This is naturally because Daniel was the person God established second to the devil in terms of knowledge, learning, and wisdom. Nebuchadnezzar was a smart ruler of an empire, as he was able to recognize this. He recognized God’s righteous people and utilized their wisdom. It’s the same today. It’s wonderful to share wisdom with god’s wise people. Again, this is why God used Nebuchadnezzar when Judah and Israel sinned.

            (Daniel 1:20 KJV) And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. Nebuchadnezzar had been using magicians and astrologers to ask questions back then. He used fortune-tellers. To him, Daniel seemed like one of them. He made this comparison because he don’t know God. Daniel is not a magician or an astrologer. Modern day fortune-tellers are no match for the magicians and astrologers of that time. With the power they received from Satan, they foresaw the movements of the world, the stars, and informed people of good luck and misfortune. Fortune telling by looking at the stars and divination. There are people like this even today. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Jerusalem, people came to tell fortunes by looking at the stars. They are called the wise men, or the magis, but in fact, they were fortune-tellers through astrology. But God gave them wisdom and allowed them to know that Jesus, the Messiah had been born. God loves everyone. Back in those days, Israel was trying to kill the Messiah once he appeared, so God gave wisdom to such people to have them bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. As for the gold, signifies Jesus is God. As for the frankincense, He is the High Priest. And the bitter myrrh signifying He will die as a prophet. God allowed them to know this, and has shown us that Jesus is the Messiah. The Christ. The anointed. The only begotten Son of God as recorded in the Bible. Astrology is different from science. Astronomy is science, but astrology is not. Astrology is the study of divination by looking at the stars. However, astronomy actually studies location of stars and their movements, while astrology is fortune telling by looking at them. Astrology and astronomy are two different things. As such, verse 20 says Daniel and the three young Hebrew men had greater learning, wisdom, and science than all the wise men in Babylon, and just three or four times, but ten times better. Daniel and his three friends did not eat the king’s delicacies, and instead ate pulse as a test for ten days. Ten days. Number ten is shown again. Ten days of trial. A beast with ten horns appears in Daniel 7:7. Ten horns. These are the kings who will arise in the future. Ten is the number of Gentiles. God’s number is seven. That’s why we currently use the Gentile decimal system. One to ten, eleven to twenty, twenty one to thirty and so forth.

            (Daniel 1:21 KJV) And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus. Cyrus is a Persian king. Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon fell, Medo-Persia came up next. After Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar was killed by Darius of Medes. Daniel reigned under the rule of Darius as well. Then onto when the next kingdom was integrated at the arrival of Cyrus of Persia. Daniel remained there during the reign of Medea and ruled under three kings. Daniel became the ruler of all the provinces of Babylon, became the head of the governors who presided over all the wise men, and he played the role of the right-hand man of Nebuchadnezzar, and he continued to be there until the first year of King Cyrus. In other words, Daniel had a very long life as a high ranking government official. God allowed it so until each government changed. Before we move on to Chapter 2, there’s something we’ll look at first. Chapter 2 is a very important chapter. One of the greatest chapters. The millennial kingdom appears and many theologians speak about premillennialism, postmillennialism, and amillennialism. Millennium represents a thousand years. Mill represents thousand, and annum representing year. Hence, Millennium. Premillennialists believe that Jesus will return to earth before the millennial kingdom and personally rule the kingdom at Second Coming. This is premillennialism. On the other hand, post-millennialists believe that the Lord will come after the Millennial Kingdom. After humans have made the entire earth wonderful and perfect, then Jesus will come. Such a nonsense. How can humans make springs overflow in the desert? Or make roses bloom in the desert? How can mere human beings make wolves and sheep lie down together, and have lions eat straw? It’s impossible.

            As for how postmillennialism came about, roman Catholics claimed the pope would reign for a thousand years ever since the Council of Nicaea. That’s why the pope’s tiara had “Vicar of Christ” written on it. They lied to have the Pope rule for a thousand years on earth since Jesus won’t be returning until he made everything on earth all good and ready. Well guess what, after Jesus and the Holy Spirit came, even after a thousand or two thousand years has passed, the world continues to experience wars, misery on global scale continue, and the world has become increasingly difficult to live in. Because Jesus hasn’t come even after the popes reigned for a thousand years, post-millennialists changed their tune to ammilennialsm, Jesus isn’t coming back. Why is that? It is because there is no Holy Spirit in them. Presbyterians are mostly amillennialists. John Calvin was an amillennialist. The principle behind the theory of evolution is the same as that of postmillennialism. When humans rule, the world gets better. The theory of evolution is that an amoeba became a paramecium, then it wiggled it’s way to became a monkey, ultimately evolving into a human being. Their theory of everything will get better and better. That’s why, worldly studies are influenced by the theory of evolution and deceive that the world will become better and more livable place in the future. Unfortunately that is not true. That’s how people get caught up in vain dreams. Especially in United States, the education of the world makes children obsessed with vain dreams deceiving them America, then the entire world will become a better place eventually. Then they die believing that fake dream. The notion of the Lord will come after complete peace on earth is established in a perfect world cannot be said unless you are a really crazy person or a total fool. Sadly many believe in this deception because they do not have the Holy Spirit. Most seminaries teach the Lord will come to earth after the gospel is spread to the ends of the earth, once the entire world is evangelized, and everyone is born again. No. Jesus is coming for Judgment on Second Coming.

            How could these people claim the Lord will come after everyone is born again when The Lord said..when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8 KJV) These are people who don’t know the bible. Even a child in elementary school will say that it is a lie after they read the Bible. Humans cannot make the world better. Not in a thousand, two thousand, not even three thousand years. That is why evolutionists, Roman Catholics are post-millennialists along with all liberals, and all politicians. They will lie to the people they can make the world better through their political efforts. It’s all great to hear their opinions. When these people promise to create millions of jobs and blabber on with false promises during their campaigns. Once election season is over, nothing ever changes. That’s why Politicians, educators, religious leaders, social activists, environmental groups. All of them are postmillennialist ideas. People who call for world peace, “let’s make a better country to live in”, these sort of people, “let’s create a society where there is no hunger, no thieves, and no walls or borders”. These people believe in post-millennial ideology. But we know that’s not true through Chapter 2. When the stone, who is Jesus Christ returns will strike the feet of the image turning it into pieces. Destroying the kingdoms of this world. Saying, the world will never get better, and only when Jesus Christ returns will His royal palace be established. Daniel Chapter 2 is very important. Daniel 2 is used when evangelizing the Jews.

            (Daniel 2:1-4 KJV) ¶ And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. He had a bad dream. A nightmare. But forgot his dream. He just can’t remember anything no matter how hard he tried. So, he called up the Babylonian magicians, astrologers, and soothsayers to interpret the dream. But first no one knew the content of the dream. How could they know? They are all nothing more than magicians guised as fortune tellers like astrologers. In fact, If they were commanded to interpret the dream, they would have gotten it somewhat right if they had guessed it in moderation because they don’t know. But here, the Babylonian king demanded them to know the dream. Guys, people who do magic are called magicians. As I mentioned before, the sages and wise men who came to Jesus from the East are the Magis. Note the prefix Magni which is used for example the word magnify, making something big. Those who exaggerate. Some amazing people. They exaggerate. When magicians do a magic trick, they exaggerate. Deceiving the audience. Making a live pigeon out of thin air or pulling a rabbit out of a top hat, that sort of thing. Exaggerating performances deceiving the eyes.

            Then there’s the word minister. A pastor is also called a minister. The word minister means one who serves. And what is the prefix mini? Opposite of big, small. For example A mini skirt is short. Mini means small, lowering oneself, as magni means exaggerating oneself to be big and perform magic. That’s why some of mondern day pastors disguised as ministers exaggerate themselves to be like the ancient magicians. Calling themselves as prophets as they prophesy all the time and become the magnificent servants. That’s no different than an enchanter or magician. Take a closer look at how these people dress compared to shamans or magicians. Dressed in high-end suits and jewelry, traveling in private jets and chauffered in expensive luxury vehicles to great gatherings filling giant stadiums across the nation “prophesying.” Tell me that’s no different than a world famous magician showing up at world casino venues. The modern world is also Babylon, and it will eventually take over. Babylon the Great will take over the world during the Great Tribulation. We all know this through the Bible.

So, in verse 4, the Chaldeans asked the king in the Syriac language to tell them the dream he had so they could interpret them.

            (Daniel 2:5-9 KJV) The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it. The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof. The king demands what the dreams is and it’s meaning, but the problem is the king doesn’t remember it. Had it been about a distant future, it won’t matter since it’s after Nebuchadnezzar’s death. However, the king demanded to know right now, or these servants would be killed. The are in a big trouble now. Let’s be real. By guessing, Dream interpretations can be somewhat easy if you told people about your dreams. These guys were in a real tight situation because the king wanted know what his dream meant which he doesn’t even remember. Wrong guess and interpretation would mean a big trouble.

            (Daniel 2:10-13 KJV) The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. They also admit there is but one God. 1 Corinthian 8 also say the similar words pertaining to there being many gods and lords, but one God. (Psalm 82:6 KJV) says ¶ I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. This is about fallen angels. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. (Psalm 82:7 KJV) they are gods (with a lowercase g). And those who received the word of God are gods. When we are resurrected, on the day of the rapture, we too will become like the Lord. Astrologers have the spirit of the devil, and we have the spirit of God. Nebuchadnezzar is laying down the decree to have them all killed. This was a test of the ability to interpret prophecy. (Revelation 19:10 KJV) says: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. In other words, the Spirit of Jesus. Those who have received the Holy Spirit can know what lies ahead. That’s why people who have the Holy Spirit know what they will be like in the future. They know for sure they will go to heaven. Apostle John said, ¶ He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:10-13 KJV) What is eternal life? There is eternal life in the Holy Spirit. Because it is the Spirit of God. You will never know this without the Spirit of God. These astrologers possess demonic spirits. Next time, we will see how the Spirit of God works through Daniel to solve this problem. Therefore, when you read Daniel 2, you will know that this is definitely about the Millennial Kingdom. Of course different books of the Bible also show us the Millennial Kingdom including the end of Ezekiel. We can only know God’s will by learning the entire Bible, but since people including Christians don’t study and learn the Bible, people have no clue what the millennial kingdom is and scholars came up with the theories of premillennialism, postmillennialism, and amillennialism. Nevertheless, we must remember that the Bible only spekas about one. Scholars invented these theories. They came with these by interpretating people’s words. But that doesn’t mean they understood the entire Bible. They studied theology. Some pastors even claim theology is the truth. How can theology be the truth? God’s word is the truth. Therefore, as we study the book of Daniel, we will realize many other words of truth about the future events, and we will come to realize more clearly it’s relation to the book of Revelation.

            Let us pray. Thank you Father God. The wisdom given to Daniel through the Word today is wisdom in the Holy Spirit, and since we have received the same Spirit, Father God, may we also be filled with the Holy Spirit. May we be filled with wisdom and understanding. In this Babylon-like world, help us Father God to use the wisdom you give us to not be deceived by Satan, put on the full armor of God, and stand firmly in your word to do your work to the fullest until the day we get to meet you Lord with joy. We give thanks and pray in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.