The Endtimes Series - Part Thirteen - The Saints Are Given Over
Writer Author Sylvia Huffnagle
Christian Article
:
Bible Teaching
- Fiction No
Dan: 7:1-3: In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 2: Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3: And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
(The beasts are political powers or kingdoms.)
Vs 4: The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
(The lion is considered the king of the jungle. An eagle can lock his wings and soar above the most violent of storms. This kingdom was a mighty conqueror and could soar above the storms of life. Sounds like the kingdom of God. Those who live in the kingdom of God can live as conquerors and can soar above the storms. But look what happened. Over time he lost his wings and his lion heart and became a mere man. This, I believe has happened to the church in general.
It happens when man forgets who God is. An emancipation has taken place and the authority has become the servant and the child has become the authority. Before Dr. Spock, parents were the authority in the home. Now children call the shots. This is what has happened in the church also. So called Christians are trying to use God to get what they want. The theme of today’s gospel is about what God wants to do for people. I heard a song today that told of God’s supply saying if you need this and that I will be whatever for you. It even said, “If you need a pillow, I’ll be your pillow.” We’re talking about God Almighty. Father!
I know that it is true that God loves us and wants to do many wonderful things for us, but I’ve got news--He can only do those wonderful things for those who are in right relationship with Him. He is Father. We are children. He is God. We are as helpless as sheep in His sight. Jesus never talked about the rewards without talking about the duties. When He talked about God’s part, He also talked about our part. A relationship has a part for each participator. Children must trust and obey, then Father can heap blessings on us.
When we get back into a place of repentance where we can have truth and understanding again we will be saved from ourselves. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Daniel prays that further on.)
Vs 5: And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
(The original interpretation was in terms of earthly kingdoms or empires and the one above was Babylon and this one Persia, but I have been given a spiritual interpretation as you can see and so we will not be talking about earthly kingdoms. We will relate this to what’s happening spiritually.
Because the lion-hearted became a mere man in his thinking--the church no longer operated super-naturally, the bear was able to devour a portion of God’s blessing to the church.)
Vs 6: After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
(The leopard, for the purpose of this article, represents subtleness. Subtly, teaching and understanding of the gospel changed. As a leopard can’t change its spots, the church could not change God’s gospel, but it changed. Instead of God’s way being the desire of the church, four desires emerged and came into power. A desire to be saved and served God, but to serve mammon also. A desire to go to heaven, but to enjoy worldly pleasure while here. A desire to live a godly life, but think like the world. A desire to have God, but to be able to call the shots. The leopard subtly came into dominion.)
Vs 7-8: After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8: I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
(Because these things happened to the church, the beast (the anti-Christ) is coming into power. There is something that can be done. Let’s see what Daniel teaches.)
Vs 9-12: I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10: A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11: I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12: As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
(This describes the God we should be serving. And this is what will happen to the beast and his followers. But before that happens the saints will be given over to the beast for a time. Let’s read on.)
Vs 13-14: I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14: And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Vs 15-18: I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16: I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17: These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 18: But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
(This is the final outcome--my God reigns! Rev: 17:14, 19:6 But more has to happen. Let’s look.)
Vs 19-20: Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 20: And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
(This is where we’re at on God’s timetable right now.)
Vs 21-28: I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22: Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23: Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24: And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25: And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26: But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 27: And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28: Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
(I said there was something we need to do. We’ll find out what that is in Chapter 9.)
Dan: 8:9-14: And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. 10: And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. 11: Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 12: And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
13: Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? 14: And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
(The anti-Christ spirit will prevail and the saints--that’s church people who have compromised the Word--will be deceived and join the anti-Christ. Those who stand their ground will be ridiculed and ignored. They will have no influence over the church or the world at that time. Rev: 13 also)
Dan: 9:1-2: In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; 2: In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
(The Chaldeans are the Babylonians and Revelation 17 and 18 foretell of spiritual Babylon’s fall.
Spiritual Babylon is all philosophy that is not from God. It’s Babbling. The church represented as the City of Peace here will be overrun with these subtle mutations of the truth for 70 years or the perfect number of years. That would be 70 years from its conception and that could be traced back to where the church first started to get along with the world.)
(This prayer of Daniel’s is what the church needs to pray in the fashion described in Joel. Call a solemn assembly. Drop everything and go to the house of prayer and cry out to God in agony of spirit.)
Vs 3-7: And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplication, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: 4: And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; 5: We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: 6: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7: O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
(Daniel address the downfall of God’s people--we are in this derision and confusion due to our own sin . . .)
8-14: O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. 9: To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; 10: Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11: Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. 12: And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. 13: As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. 14: Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.
(The church is guilty of not obeying God’s Word. You may ask, “What Word?” Put on the full armor of God. Protect you heart for out of it are the issues of life. Man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God. You cannot serve God and mammon. You are not your own, you have been bought with a price. Be ye holy as He is holy. Need I go on?
Daniel says in verse 13: Yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth That‘s what we need to pray at the solemn assembly. Daniel basically prayed: You are a God who keeps His covenants and we are in this confusion and derision due to our own sins. Please bring us to a place of repentance whereby we will be able to receive truth and understanding again.)
© Sylvia Huffnagle
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