Daniel, part 2

1. Daniel, part 2

2. Godscharacter.com • Goodnewstour.com • September 5 and 6 - 2008

3. “This was the dream. Now I will tell Your Majesty what it means. Your Majesty, you are the greatest of all kings…You are the head of gold. • After you there will be another empire, not as great as yours, • and after that a third, an empire of bronze, which will rule the whole earth. • And then there will be a fourth empire, as strong as iron, which shatters and breaks everything. And just as iron shatters everything, it will shatter and crush all the earlier empires.” (Daniel 2:36-40 – GN)

4. In the first year that Belshazzar was king of Babylonia, I had a dream…Four huge beasts came up out of the ocean, each one different from the others. • The first one looked like a lion, but had wings like an eagle. While I was watching, the wings were torn off. The beast was lifted up and made to stand up straight. And then a human mind was given to it. • The second beast looked like a bear standing on its hind legs. It was holding three ribs between its teeth, and a voice said to it, ‘Go on, eat as much meat as you can!’ • While I was watching, another beast appeared. It looked like a leopard, but on its back there were four wings, like the wings of a bird, and it had four heads. It had a look of authority about it.

5. As I was watching, a fourth beast appeared. It was powerful, horrible, terrifying. With its huge iron teeth it crushed its victims, and then it trampled on them. Unlike the other beasts, it had ten horns. • While I was staring at the horns, I saw a little horn coming up among the others. It tore out three of the horns that were already there. This horn had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting proudly.” (Daniel 7:1-8 – GN) • “This is the explanation I was given: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth empire that will be on the earth and will be different from all other empires. It will crush the whole earth and trample it down.’” (Daniel 7:23 – GN)

6. “A People’s History of the World” • Howard Zinn

7. “There was on great survivor of the crisis of the western Roman empire after AD 400. This was the religion which had arisen from very small beginnings over the previous centuries to become the official ideology of the empire – Christianity.” (p. 87) • “…the church hierarchy was turning into a shadow bureaucracy – a second empire-wide administrative structure standing alongside the first.” (p. 97)

8. “In the late 11th century a series of ‘reforming’ popes had aspired to centralize…so as to impose a near theocratic structure on the whole of Europe.” (p. 147)

9. Indulgences • Greed • Cruelty: the stake, the inquisition • War • Intermediaries • Restriction of knowledge

10. Reformation: • “The Word did it all. While I sat drinking beer with Philip and Amsdorf, God dealt the Papacy a mighty blow.” (Luther p. 185)

11. Babylon • Medo-Persia • Greece • Pagan Rome • “Christianity”

12. “Thrones were set up while I was watching, and the Eternal God took his place. His clothing and his hair were white as snow. His throne was a blazing fire with fiery wheels, and flames were dashing out from all around him. Countless thousands were standing there to serve him. The time of judgment began, and the books were opened. I watched closely to see what would happen to this smaller horn because of the arrogant things it was saying. Then before my very eyes, the fourth beast was killed and its body destroyed by fire. The other three beasts had their authority taken from them, but they were allowed to live a while longer. As I continued to watch the vision that night, I saw what looked like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven, and he was presented to the Eternal God. He was crowned king and given power and glory, so that all people of every nation and race would serve him. He will rule forever, and his kingdom is eternal, never to be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:9-14 - CEV)

13. Babylon • Medo-Persia • Greece • Pagan Rome • “Christianity” • Judgment

15. “Nor does the Father himself judge anyone. He has given his Son the full right to judge…And he has given the Son the right to judge, because he is the Son of Man.” (John 5:22,27 – GN)

16. “I am telling you the truth: those who hear my words and believe in him who sent me have eternal life. They will not be judged, but have already passed from death to life” (John 5:24 – GN)

17. “If people hear my message and do not obey it, I will not judge them. I came, not to judge the world, but to save it. Those who reject me and do not accept my message have one who will judge them. The words I have spoken will be their judge on the last day!” (John 12:47-48 – GN)

18. “Jesus answered him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me. Now that you have known me,’ he said to them, ‘you will know my Father also, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him.’ Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father; that is all we need.’ Jesus answered, ‘For a long time I have been with you all; yet you do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. Why, then, do you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe, Philip, that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I have spoken to you,’ Jesus said to his disciples, ‘do not come from me. The Father, who remains in me, does his own work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. If not, believe because of the things I do.” (John 14:6-14 – GN)

19. And eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent. I have shown your glory on earth; I have finished the work you gave me to do….I have made you known…” (John 17:3-6 – GN)

20. “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6 – GN). • “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 – GN). • “I was born and came into the world for this one purpose, to speak about the truth” (John 18:27).

21. “He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God” (John 14:17). • “The Helper will come – the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God” (John 15:26). • “When the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth” (John 16:13).

22. “The dragon was furious with the woman and went off to fight against the rest of her descendants, all those who obey God’s commandments and are faithful to the truth revealed by Jesus” (Revelation 12:17). • “I am a servant together with you and with other believers, all those who hold to the truth that Jesus revealed. Worship God! For the truth that Jesus revealed is what inspires the prophets” (Revelation 19:10). • “I also saw the souls of those who had been executed because they had proclaimed the truth that Jesus revealed and the word of God” (Revelation 20:4).

23. “Jesus said, ‘I came to this world to judge, so that the blind should see and those who see should become blind.’” (John 9:39 – GN) • “This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil.” (John 3:19 – GN)

24. “God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance. • For we are like a sweet-smelling incense offered by Christ to God, which spreads among those who are being saved and those who are being lost. For those who are being lost, it is a deadly stench that kills; for those who are being saved, it is a fragrance that brings life” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16 – GN).

25. “And so, according to the Good News I preach, this is how it will be on that Day when God through Jesus Christ will judge the secret thoughts of all” (Romans 3:16). • “For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin first among God’s own children. And if even we Christians must be judged, what terrible fate awaits those who have never believed God’s Good News?” (1 Peter 4:17, NLT)

26. “It is also right for God to give all of us relief from our suffering. He will do this when the Lord Jesus is revealed, [coming] from heaven with his mighty angels in a blazing fire. He will take revenge on those who refuse to acknowledge God and on those who refuse to respond to the Good News about our Lord Jesus. They will pay the penalty by being destroyed forever, by being separated from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious power. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, GOD’S WORD)

27. “Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message of Good News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe, language, and nation. He said in a loud voice, ‘Honor God and praise his greatness! For the time has come for him to judge all people. Worship him who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water!’” (Revelation 14:6-7 – GN)

28. Babylon • Medo-Persia • Greece • Pagan Rome • “Christianity” • Good News - Judgment

29. “Thrones were set up while I was watching, and the Eternal God took his place. His clothing and his hair were white as snow. His throne was a blazing fire with fiery wheels, and flames were dashing out from all around him. Countless thousands were standing there to serve him. The time of judgment began, and the books were opened. I watched closely to see what would happen to this smaller horn because of the arrogant things it was saying. Then before my very eyes, the fourth beast was killed and its body destroyed by fire. The other three beasts had their authority taken from them, but they were allowed to live a while longer. As I continued to watch the vision that night, I saw what looked like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven, and he was presented to the Eternal God. He was crowned king and given power and glory, so that all people of every nation and race would serve him. He will rule forever, and his kingdom is eternal, never to be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:9-14 - CEV)

30. “God must be true, even though all human beings are liars. As the scripture says, ‘You must be shown to be right when you speak; you must win your case when you are being tried.’” (Romans 3:4 – GN) • “He will be proved right in what he says, and he will win his case in court.” (NLT)

31. Perception: • God sits on a fiery intimidating throne and reviews the books of our actions • Reality: • Will we respond to the Good News about God’s character as revealed by Jesus?

32. Perception: • We beg God to let us in • Reality: • “Listen! I stand at the door and knock; if any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them, and they will eat with me.” (Revelation 3:20 – GN)

33. Perception: • “I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers.” (Luke 15:19 – GN) • Reality • “I do not call you servants any longer….Instead I call you friends…” (John 15:15 – GN)

35. “In the third year that Belshazzar was king, I saw a second vision…I was standing by the Ulai River, and there beside the river I saw a ram that had two long horns, one of which was longer and newer than the other. I watched the ram butting with his horns to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stop him or escape his power. He did as he pleased and grew arrogant. (Daniel 8:1-4 – GN) • “The ram you saw that had two horns represents the kingdoms of Media and Persia” (Daniel 8:20 – GN)

36. “While I was wondering what this meant, a goat came rushing out of the west, moving so fast that his feet didn’t touch the ground. He had one prominent horn between his eyes. He came toward the ram, which I had seen standing beside the river, and rushed at him with all his force. I watched him attack the ram. He was so angry that he smashed into him and broke the two horns. The ram had no strength to resist. He was thrown to the ground and trampled on, and there was no one who could save him. The goat grew more and more arrogant, but at the height of his power his horn was broken.” (Daniel 8:5-8 – GN) • “The goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the prominent horn between his eyes is the first king” (Daniel 8:21 – GN) • In its place four prominent horns came up, each pointing in a different direction.” (Daniel 8:8 – GN)

37. “Out of one of these four horns grew a little horn, whose power extended toward the south and the east and toward the Promised Land. It grew strong enough to attack the army of heaven, the stars themselves, and it threw some of them to the ground and trampled on them. It even defied the Prince of the heavenly army, stopped the daily sacrifices offered to him, and ruined the Temple. People sinned there instead of offering the proper daily sacrifices, and true religion was thrown to the ground. The horn was successful in everything it did.

38. “Then I heard one angel ask another, ‘How long will these things that were seen in the vision continue? How long will an awful sin replace the daily sacrifices? How long will the army of heaven and the Temple be trampled on?’ I heard the other angel answer, ‘It will continue for 2,300 evenings and mornings, during which sacrifices will not be offered. Then the Temple will be restored.’ (Daniel 8:9-14 – GN)

39. “Out of one of these four horns grew a little horn, whose power extended toward the south and the east and toward the Promised Land. It grew strong enough to attack the army of heaven, the stars themselves, and it threw some of them to the ground and trampled on them. It even defied the Prince of the heavenly army, stopped the daily sacrifices offered to him, and ruined the Temple. People sinned there instead of offering the proper daily sacrifices, and true religion was thrown to the ground. The horn was successful in everything it did. • “The little horn is Antiochus IV Ephinanes” – Good News Bible

40. Antiochus Epiphanes • Suspended temple services from 168-165 BC • 8th king of the Seleucid dynasty (175-164 BC) – Hellenistic kingdom • Son of Antiochus III the Great - lost all of Asia Minor to the Romans • Antiochus taken hostage by Rome to enforce the treaty, but then allowed to return to Antioch

41. “Antiochus besieged Alexandria but he was unable to cut communications to the city and he also needed to deal with a revolt in Judea so, at the end of 169, he withdrew his army. In his absence, Ptolemy VI and his brother were reconciled. Antiochus, angered at his loss of control over the king, invaded again. The Egyptians sent to Rome asking for help…on the outskirts of the capital, he met Popilius Laenas, with whom he had been friends during his stay in Rome. But instead of a friendly welcome, Popilius offered the king an ultimatum from the Senate: he must evacuate Egypt and Cyprus immediately. Antiochus begged to have time to consider but Popilius drew a circle round him in the sand with his cane and told him to decide before he stepped outside it. Antiochus chose to obey the Roman ultimatum. The "Day of Eleusis" ended the Sixth Syrian War and Antiochus' hopes of conquering Egyptian territory.”

42. “Then I heard one angel ask another, ‘How long will these things that were seen in the vision continue? How long will an awful sin replace the daily sacrifices? How long will the army of heaven and the Temple be trampled on?’ I heard the other angel answer, ‘It will continue for 2,300 evenings and mornings, during which sacrifices will not be offered. Then the Temple will be restored.’ (Daniel 8:9-14 – GN) • “The 2,300 mornings and evenings…are equivalent to the three years and some days during which the desecration of the Temple lasted” – Good News Bible

43. “Out of one of these four horns grew a little horn, whose power extended toward the south and the east and toward the Promised Land. It grew strong enough to attack the army of heaven, the stars themselves, and it threw some of them to the ground and trampled on them. It even defied the Prince of the heavenly army, stopped the daily sacrifices offered to him, and ruined the Temple. People sinned there instead of offering the proper daily sacrifices, and true religion was thrown to the ground. The horn was successful in everything it did.

44. “And then there will be a fourth empire, as strong as iron, which shatters and breaks everything. And just as iron shatters everything, it will shatter and crush all the earlier empires.” (Daniel 2:40 – GN) • As I was watching, a fourth beast appeared. It was powerful, horrible, terrifying. With its huge iron teeth it crushed its victims, and then it trampled on them. Unlike the other beasts, it had ten horns. While I was staring at the horns, I saw a little horn coming up among the others. It tore out three of the horns that were already there. This horn had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting proudly.” (Daniel 7:1-8 – GN) • “This is the explanation I was given: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth empire that will be on the earth and will be different from all other empires. It will crush the whole earth and trample it down.’” (Daniel 7:23 – GN)

45. “Mortal man, understand the meaning. The vision has to do with the end of the world.” (Daniel 8:17 – GN) • “This vision about the evening and morning sacrifices which has been explained to you will come true. But keep it secret now, because it will be a long time before it does come true.” (Daniel 8:26 – GN)

46. “Out of one of these four horns grew a little horn, whose power extended toward the south and the east and toward the Promised Land. It grew strong enough to attack the army of heaven, the stars themselves, and it threw some of them to the ground and trampled on them. It even defied the Prince of the heavenly army, stopped the daily sacrifices offered to him, and ruined the Temple. People sinned there instead of offering the proper daily sacrifices, and true religion was thrown to the ground. The horn was successful in everything it did.

47. “The seventy-two men came back in great joy. ‘Lord’, they said, ‘even the demons obeyed us when we gave them a command in your name!’ Jesus answered them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven’…At that time Jesus was filled with joy by the Holy Spirit…” (Luke 10:17,18,21 – GN) • “Truth was thrown to the ground” (Daniel 8 – GOD’S WORD)

48. “Out of one of these four horns grew a little horn, whose power extended toward the south and the east and toward the Promised Land. It grew strong enough to attack the army of heaven, the stars themselves, and it threw some of them to the ground and trampled on them. It even defied the Prince of the heavenly army, stopped the daily sacrifices offered to him, and ruined the Temple. People sinned there instead of offering the proper daily sacrifices, and true religion was thrown to the ground. The horn was successful in everything it did.

49. Physical • Tabernacle in the wilderness • Solomon’s temple • Ezekiel’s temple in vision • Herod’s temple

50. Spiritual • “Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by the people, but he is precious to God who chose him. And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple. (1 Peter 3) • “I will make those who are victorious pillars in the temple of my God, and they will never leave it.” (Revelation 3:12 – GN) • “You, too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus himself. He is the one who holds the whole building together and makes it grow into a sacred temple dedicated to the Lord. In union with him you too are being built together with all the others into a place where God lives through his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:20-22 – GN) • “Surely you know that you are God’s temple and that God's Spirit lives in you! God will destroy anyone who destroys God's temple. For God's temple is holy, and you yourselves are his temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:17 – GN) • “Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 – GN) • “For we are the temple of the living God! As God himself has said, ‘I will make my home with my people and live among them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.’” (2 Corinthians 6:16 – GN) • “We are his house if we keep up our courage and our confidence in what we hope for” (Hebrews 3:6 – GN)