Daniel's 4th Kingdom (Part 1)

FINALLY!!!

Before you begin reading this, please make sure you have read the 4th Kingdom Preview.
It would also be helpful if you have read the other articles on Daniel.

We will review the descriptions (I like to call them “clues” because it makes me feel like Sherlock Holmes) that the Bible gives us, and we will identify this kingdom like we did in the vision of the 4 beasts in Daniel 7.



LET’S GO

The first description we are given of this empire is found in Daniel 2 (statue dream). We have already identified the head, chest/arms, and belly/thighs. We can now move right into the legs and feet of the statue.

…33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 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. 35 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.

So, this passage tells us that the kingdom is the legs of iron, and it’s feet are partly iron and partly clay. It is interesting that the legs and the feet are mentioned separately. The other “clue” is the rock that was cut out without human hands. This “rock” is none other than Jesus, and his kingdom that fills the whole earth.

**It is important to note that when Jesus comes back to establish his kingdom, the rock “struck the statue on its feet…”. It did not strike the legs. This tells us that the feet represent the kingdom as it exists at the second coming of Jesus, whereas the legs represent the 4th kingdom before the second coming.

**It is also important to see that the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold are all destroyed “at the same time”. This means that the 4th kingdom (and therefore the feet), would encompass all the lands of the previous 3 empires. This is a defining characteristic!!!



We are also given more clues from the interpretation of this dream in Daniel 2.

40 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.
**This further shows that the 4th kingdom will encompass all the lands of the prior 3 kingdoms because it breaks “all the others”.


41 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. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 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.
** Note that the legs are of iron, but the feet are mixed parts of iron and clay. Also notice that we are not just talking about the feet, but of the toes as well. This will make sense later as we look at the antichrist kingdom.

44 "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. 45 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.
**This shows again that the rock is in fact the second coming of Jesus and the establishment of his kingdom. It also repeats that “It will crush all those kingdoms”.


CONCLUSION

1. 4th kingdom is represented by the legs of iron


2. Antichrist kingdom is represented by the feet of iron and clay, and is the 4th kingdom as it exists at the second coming. It is not seen as a completely different fifth kingdom.


3. Both of these must encompass the lands of the previous kingdoms


4. The second coming of Jesus smashes all of the empires by striking the feet (AC kingdom).

Head = Babylon

Chest & Arms = Medo-Persia

Belly & Thighs = Greece

Legs = 4th kingdom

Feet = 4th kingdom at the time of the second coming (under antichrist control)


In part 2, we will look at the description of the 4th beast in Daniel 7 for additional clues as to the identification of the 4th Kingdom.

Earthquakes In Various Places?

As I had written on May 16, we need to be aware of the times. This is an excerpt from my post:

"Things are changing so fast. The world is lining up against Israel
(including the US) to demand a "covenant with many". Every day
there are "wars and rumors of war", "earthquakes in various places",
"famines" are anticipated to spread this summer... Are these the
beginning of "birth pains"???"

It seems that the frequency of earthquakes are increasing. The severity seems to be quite low, thankfully. We have to look at all the warnings as a whole, and not be consumed with just one of the activities. So, clearly we are not to panic because we are having earthquakes in various places, but we should take note of it and understand what it could mean.



Again, most of these earthquakes are small, but there are many to report just recently.

Dozens of earthquakes in Macedonia:
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2009/05/25/nb-07

Earthquake hits New Zealand's Kermadec Islands:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-05/24/content_11425926.htm

Earthquakes in Balkans:
http://bulgarian.ibox.bg/news/id_147570142

Earthquakes in Tennessee:
http://www.standeyo.com/NEWS/09_Earth_Changes/090526.TN.3.EQs.html

Earthquake in central California:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/05/moderate-quake-rolls-through-central-calif.html

2 Earthquakes in New York:
http://www.standeyo.com/NEWS/09_Earth_Changes/090518.2.EQs.Strike.NY.html

Earthquake hits southern California:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/05/41-quake-hits-the-south-bay.html

Earthquake in Dallas/ Ft Worth area:
http://www.standeyo.com/NEWS/09_Earth_Changes/090517.Dallas.EQ.html

Earthquakes hit Alaska's Kodiak island:
http://www.standeyo.com/NEWS/09_Earth_Changes/090517.Kodiak.EQ.html

Earthquake in Virginia:
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/205071

US Dollar is no longer reserve currency for Russia

Expect other nations to follow suit soon (watch China very carefully)
http://english.pravda.ru/print/business/finance/107581-dollar_russia-0

US To Divide Jerusalem?

Report: US Promised Jerusalem To Be Capital of Palestine
http://www.palestine-pmc.com/details.asp?cat=1&id=2268



Joel 3
2 I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.


Pray that the US will stand with Israel, and take no part in dividing the land that God has given them.

FBI arrest four Muslims in plot against Jewish synagogues

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/05/20/2009-05-20_fbi_arrest_four_in_alleged_plot_to_car_bomb_bronx_synagogue.html?page=0

Daniel’s 4th Kingdom Preview

Now that the first 3 kingdoms have been identified, and have been shown to be historically accurate, we can move on and identify the 4th kingdom. I should start by saying that since the 4th kingdom is not specifically named in the Bible, this may become a lengthy study as we examine all the descriptions given to us. I will also tell you that my interpretation is different than what most of you have heard, but I believe it to be Biblically sound.

As I stated when we began, I will give you my reasoning with the evidence to support it. I will also give you the alternate views out there. It will be up to you to take in all the information and go to God in prayer to determine which “camp” you fall into.

After we have identified the 4th kingdom, we will play “Pin the tail on the antichrist”. (it’s a joke, relax).

Does anyone else find this exciting???

Are You Kidding Me???

More pressure on Israel:

Pope says the land of the forefathers of Palestinians is ... Israel
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2652


Turkey pushes Israel to give up Golan Heights:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=94911&sectionid=351020206

Daniel's Vision of 4 Beasts

Our next stop is at Daniel 7. Like I said after our last study, the vision given to Daniel in this chapter parallels the vision in Daniel 2 (statue) and Daniel 8 (ram and goat). This vision also takes place during the Babylonian captivity.


Daniel 7
2 Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
4 "The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.

5 "And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and eat your fill of flesh!'

6 "After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

7 "After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.

The Interpretation
We are given some level of interpretation to at least tell us that the beasts represent "kingdoms" in Daniel 7:16-17. There are no specific names given, but we are given enough clues from the verses above to identify the beasts.

The Lion
The clues we have to identify this kingdom are:
· lion’s wings torn off
· lifted up to stand on two feet like a man
· the heart of a man was given to it

The above clues describe the humbling process that Nebuchadnezzar went through in Daniel 4, when God stripped him of his authority and drove him away from his people to live like a wild animal. Nebuchadnezzar “…ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.” This lasted 7 years until he raised his eyes to heaven and praised God. He was at once returned to his people, restored to the throne, and became even greater than before because he now acknowledged the power and dominion of God.
Head of statue = Lion

The Bear
The clues we have to identify this kingdom are:
· raised up on one side
· 3 ribs in it’s mouth
· told to devour much flesh

The description of the bear being “raised up on one side” parallel the ram’s horn which grew later and longer than the other. This is a description of the Medo-Persian empire.
The description of the 3 ribs parallels the ram charging to the west (Babylon), the north (Lydia), and the south (Egypt). The 3 ribs are the 3 countries they conquered.
The description to “Get up and eat your fill of flesh” would line up well with God’s desire to raise Persia for the purpose of freeing his people from the Babylonians (remember our first study on Cyrus the Great?)
Chest & Arms = ram = bear

The Leopard

The clues we have to identify this kingdom are:
* 4 wings
* 4 heads
* given authority to rule

The description of the 4 wings indicates the great speed that the Grecian empire had. This is also found in the description of the goat “crossing the whole earth without touching the ground.”

The description of the 4 heads parallels the 4 horns of the goat, which represents the 4 divisions of the Grecian empire after Alexander’s death.

The “given authority to rule” description would indicate that Greece was given supernatural power to rule. This idea can also be found in Daniel 10:20 when an angel appears to Daniel and tells him “…Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come…” These princes are not human princes, but spiritual forces that this angel has done battle against.

Belly and thighs = goat = leopard

4th Beast

Be patient, we’ll get to it.

Conclusion

We have now confirmed the identity of the first 3 kingdoms. The book of Daniel is unique in this regard- that we can confirm the interpretations multiple times, and we are even given help by the angels sent to Daniel.

Anyone curious about the 4th empire yet?

"Covenant With Many" Watch

Honestly, they always talk of peace in the middle east, so it's important to watch without getting carried away and expecting "the covenant with many" within 30 days.

That being said, it is still important to monitor. I had made a short mention in my last post of how the world is lining up against Israel.

Here are some recent stories:

Jordan says "Israel must accept Palestinian state http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j_suGvYgZ4hwcMplsjmGbnqpmHJAD9860ENG0

Jordanian king says he and "Obama hatched the plan"
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2649

Pope calls for Palestinian homeland
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30671818/

Jordanian king says Netanyahu meeting with Obama will decide future of middle east
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6261925.ece

Tony Blair says Obama devising a new peace plan
http://www.newsmax.com/international/ml_israel_palestinians/2009/05/06/211220.html

Saudis, Egypt, Jordan, Syria try to cut Turkey and Iran out of Israeli peace deal
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=6060

Netanyahu heads for collision with Obama
http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=1388

Military Uses Michigan City As Training Ground

This sort of thing is happening all over the U.S.

Some of these activities are pre-announced like this one, some are covert. The question is... why? Seriously... WHY??? They have whole military bases to train on, with cities and neighborhoods already set up on them.

Has this ever happened before the last year?

Does it have anything to do with the re-deployment of troops to US cities?
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/

Does this training relate to the GPS marking of our homes? FEMA camps/ trains? Anticipated civil unrest?

I don't want to be an alarmist, but IF the government had bad intentions- this is how it would start. This is how they would train.

Things are changing so fast. The world is lining up against Israel (including the US) to demand a "covenant with many". Every day there are "wars and rumors of war", "earthquakes in various places", "famines" are anticipated to spread this summer... Are these the beginning of "birth pains"???

Read Matthew 24:6-14 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2024:6-14;&version=31;

It is also interesting to note that the NIV version does not include an additional description of these times. The King James Version includes the additional warning of "pestilences" (bird flu, swine flu, the hybrid flu expected this fall?). In my mind, the KJV rules out when there are discrepencies between the 2 versions.

Read Mark 13:7-13 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2013:7-13;&version=31;

Do these descriptions sound familiar? What do these passages say about the events that take place after the earthquakes, rumors of war, pestilences, etc? PERSECUTION

These passages describe the time of the antichrist. This is the time of the last days.

Once the "covenant with many" is made, the 7 year clock begins to tick.



If you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, it is time to pray like you have never prayed before. It is time to "set your face like flint" and know that you will be delivered! (Isaiah 50:6-8 )
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=29&chapter=50&verse=6&end_verse=8&version=31&context=context



If you are not sure if Jesus is really the Messiah, it is time to GET OFF THE FENCE!!! Resolve the questions you have. What are you waiting for? Bring your questions to God in prayer. Not an ordinary prayer. Not a one time prayer (do it daily). Not a prayer for show. Find a quiet place, get on your knees in humility, and PLEAD with God to reveal the truth to you- with faith that he will.



Remember, although the tribulation period lasts 7 years, no one is guaranteed even 1 more day.

401k's Blocking Withdrawals

It's bad enough that many people lost significant money in their investments, but now some 410k's are denying access to YOUR money.

How long until they block you from changing funds within your 401k?

The only thing worse than paper money is electronic money. You hold nothing.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124148012581385199.html

Daniel 2 (Part 3 of 3)

** Please read parts 1 and 2 first **


IDENTIFICATION OF THE 4 KINGDOMS
Now that we know there are 4 kingdoms, we can fast forward in Daniel to identify the first 3. As I said in part 1, the 4th kingdom is not named- so we will save that for later.


In chapter 8, Daniel has a dream of a ram and a goat which will be used to parallel Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and identify the 2nd and 3rd kingdoms (remember the first was identified as Babylon, the head of gold).




We can read about this dream in Daniel 8. To read the entire chapter,
click here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=34&chapter=8&version=31


RAM
Daniel 8
2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. 4 I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

This ram is described with two horns because this kingdom has two divisions/leaders. The second division grew up later, but also longer. Normally, we would then need to look for an empire that meets this description- but the angel Gabriel interprets it for us in Daniel 8:15-20 as seen below:

15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision."
...20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.

From a historical perspective, we can see that this “divided kingdom” was initially controlled by the Medes, but later dominated by the Persians (the 2nd horn which grew later and longer). We hardly even think of the Medes anymore! Additionally, we are told that the ram pushed westward (conquering Babylon); northward (Lydia); and southward (Egypt).






GOAT
Next, we are given the description of the second animal, a goat.

5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage. 7 I saw him attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him; the goat knocked him to the ground and trampled on him, and none could rescue the ram from his power. 8 The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.

Once again, we would normally look for an empire which fits this description, but the angel Gabriel interprets this as well in Daniel 8:21-22 as seen below:

21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.

From a historical perspective we can see that the large horn represented Alexander the Great. The Greeks conquered Persia under Alexander, and the kingdom grew into a great empire. At the height of the Grecian empire, Alexander died (large horn broken off). The kingdom was split between his four generals:
1. Cassander
2. Lysimachus
3. Ptolemy
4. Seleucus


Man I love the book of Daniel!!!

CONCLUSION
We can now see that:
1. Babylon (head of gold) was conquered by
2. Medo-Persia (chest and arms of silver), which was conquered by
3. Greece (belly and thighs of bronze).

How awesome is that? We have now identified the first 3 kingdoms represented in Nebuchadnezzar’s statue.

In case we have any doubt, we will explore Daniel 7 next. In this chapter, Daniel is given a dream/vision of 4 great beasts that come out of the sea. These 4 great beasts parallel the 4 empires shown on the statue, and will verify their identification.

I promise we will eventually get to the 4th kingdom!

FDIC Planning For Huge Bank Failure?

The truth is, the FDIC has been requesting more and more money even before this story has come out. There is only one reason that the FDIC needs so much money- something is coming.

This falls right in line with my recommendation to hold some cash at home.

Here is the new story: http://pragcap.com/fdic-planning-for-huge-bank-failure

Add to that the fact that April foreclosures jumped 32% from April 2008 (which was already high), retail sales unexpectedly dropped in April, and unemployment numbers were unexpectedly higher (even with the skewed unemployment calculations of today).

Here are those stories if you want to see them:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090513/ts_nm/us_usa_housing_foreclosures_3
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Retail-sales-drop-apf-15228755.html
http://www.mybudget360.com/24700000-unemployed-or-underemployed-americans-job-losses-accelerate-with-6-million-unemployed-over-last-year-real-unemployment-rate-now-at-158-percent/

Daniel 2 (Part 2 of 3)

OK, so I said I would cover this chapter in two parts, but now I see that this will take 3 parts to get through it. Deal with it…


If you haven’t already, please read part 1 below before reading part 2.

Part 2

THE INTERPRETATION OF THE DREAM
We must look to scripture to interpret scripture, and we don’t have to look far to get the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream:



36 "This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king…You are that head of gold. 39 "After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40 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. 41 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. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 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.

So, here we are told that there are 4 earthly kingdoms that will dominate the gentile lands/nations.
- The first (head of gold) is specified as Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian kingdom.
- The second (chest & arms of silver) is described as “inferior” to Babylon
- The third (belly & thighs of bronze) is described as “ruling over the whole earth”
- The fourth (legs of iron, feet partly iron & clay) is described as “strong as iron” and “it will crush and break all the others”. The feet are additionally described as being a “divided kingdom”, partly strong (iron) and partly brittle (clay), and the people will be a mixture that does not remain united.



** I think it’s important to note here that the feet are of a different composition than the legs, and are described separately. **

44 "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. 45 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."


This tells us that the rock that struck the statue on it’s feet of iron and clay, is God’s kingdom. This kingdom will be set up to endure forever. You probably noticed that Jesus is referred to as the “rock” or “stone” many times over in the Bible.


It’s also important to see that when the rock hits the feet of the statue, “It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end”. This is important because it is another clue as to the identification of the 4th kingdom. The only way that all 4 kingdoms can be destroyed by striking that last kingdom (feet), is if the last kingdom encompasses all the area/land of the prior kingdoms.

Daniel 2

To continue our study of the book of Daniel, let’s move on to chapter 2. This will be a long study, so I plan to break it into 2 parts.

This chapter begins by detailing a dream that was given to Nebuchadnezzar, after he was thinking about the future of his kingdom/lands (vs 29). This is often overlooked, but is an important thing to take note of as we examine the statue in his dream. Most of the Bible centers on Israel, and is told from an Israel-centric view since they are God’s chosen people. This dream, however, centers on the gentile nations, and the future of these lands.

If you haven’t read the entire chapter of Daniel 2, you can find it here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=dan%202;&version=31;

Before we start, I want to point out that this will be another specific prophecy that we can prove to have come true! This dream will show us 4 kingdoms and specifically names 3 of them. The 4th is left for our discernment, prayer, and research - because it will ultimately deal with the antichrist.

I will tell you my opinion of who the 4th empire is, and I will give you the popular alternative views. It will be up to you to decide which view you agree with, however, I would ask that you leave an open mind until we are finished with the book of Daniel (you wouldn’t believe how aggressive some people become when there views are questioned). It is different for each person, but at some point it will all “click” and come together.


(Scripture in RED)

Daniel 2 (Part 1)
1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep.
4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."
5 The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me."

This is amazing because the wise men were given the task of not only interpreting the king’s dream, but also telling him what the dream was! How do you interpret a dream without even knowing what it is??? Obviously, they couldn’t do it, so the king ordered that all the wise men in the land be killed (wow!).

Then they came to arrest Daniel since he was a wise man:
14 When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15 He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven…

Another important lesson for all of us! Daniel spoke “with wisdom and tact”. He was faced with death by no fault of his own, and reacted with wisdom and tact. I imagine the story would've been different if it said "So Daniel screamed like a girl and blamed everyone else around him." Did you notice that he didn’t buy time to make an escape plan and run away? Daniel went to the other men of God (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) and pleaded with God. After God revealed the truth to Daniel, he praised God.
The “pleading” comes naturally for most of us, it’s the “praising” that takes discipline.

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

Daniel was sure to take NO credit for the interpretation of the king’s dream, although he could have gained “gifts and rewards and great honor.” Daniel gave all the credit and glory to God alone.

THE DREAM
29 "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen.
31 "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 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. 35 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.”


End of Part 1

Poll Results

The results of our poll are in!

77% of you believe the last days are within 10 years
11% of you believe the last days are within 30 years
11% of you believe we are not in the last days

SO... 88% of you believe that we are within 30 years of the last days.

Now the real question:

Are 88% of us living like the end could come in our lifetime?

Daniel 1

We begin our study of the book of Daniel with… the 1st chapter! This chapter mainly gives us the background information and sets the stage for the prophecies to come out of this book.

Hopefully you have already read it in eager preparation for this series. If not, you can read it here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=34&chapter=1&version=31

I will be using the color red to indicate the actual scripture passages.

Here we go…

Daniel 1

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. 3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility- 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.

The above section gives us the setting in which the rest of the book takes place. As was common practice for the Babylonian empire, they took captives and transported them back to Babylon in order to enslave them. The Babylonians would then separate the “cream of the crop”, instruct them in their own ways, and use their talents for the benefit of their kingdom. Daniel was selected to serve in Nebuchadnezzar’s palace. Please note the brief mention of the temple articles in verse 2. These are the same articles that are later returned by Cyrus the Great (see my earlier post here: http://assyrianhorn.blogspot.com/2009/05/and-you-thought-nostradamus-was-cool.html). Again, Isaiah prophesied that Cyrus would free the Israelites from Babylon, and return these articles BEFORE Babylon even took them into captivity!

5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table… 8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

Daniel is tested early on by the temptation to eat food from the king’s own table. Of course, this would have been the best food in the land, EXCEPT that it had already been offered to the Babylonian gods, and was therefore defiled. The way that Daniel responded to this temptation and uncomfortable position should be a lesson to us all. He could have refused and gone on a hunger strike (making it all about himself and revealing nothing about his God), or he could have just eaten it and excused it (how can I say no to the king?). Instead, Daniel chose to respectfully ask the guard for permission to eat food that was not defiled, and recommended that the guard test his health after 10 days (this allowed for God’s intervention and blessing of Daniel’s faithfulness). How would you respond if you were put in his position?

15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

17 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.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach) and Azariah (Abednego); so they entered the king's service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

I wonder if Daniel’s future would have been much different if he had taken the easy way, and eaten from the king’s table.

I wonder if our future could be drastically altered by the faith-based decisions we make today...


Next up- Daniel 2- EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PROPHECY/ DREAM
**This is where it will get exciting **

Insider Selling At Record Highs

I know, this isn't scripture. Just be patient, it's coming.

This report backs up some of my concerns regarding the stock market. You can read it here:
http://pragcap.com/more-on-insider-selling

I heard again this morning that the worst is over... Think about it- why would insiders be selling at a record pace if that were true???

Risky Financial Advice

Before I give you the following Risky Financial Advice (RFA), please remember that I am an insurance agent writing a blog on prophecy. I am not a financial advisor (so if you follow my advice and I'm wrong, it's really your fault for listening to a prophecy-loving insurance salesman).

All joking aside, this is an important subject. The Dow is a little over 8500 at this point. I believe you should seriously consider moving your money out of the market right now. If you have a 401k or IRA, move it to a fixed fund. If they don't have a fixed fund, move it to the most conservative allocation possible. I'm not so positive on bonds either, so be careful. I'm not telling you to withdraw your money from your 401k and get hit with the penalty tax. I'm saying you should change your fund allocation. You have to make your own decisions on whether to keep your 401k/ IRA going.

If your money is in individual stocks, you should look for an opportunity to sell asap.

It would also be wise to have cash at home (in a safe) to last 30 days or so. I'm not predicting the end of the world here, just pointing out some prudent steps that all of us should take. Even though the FDIC guarantees your money in the bank, it may take a while for you to be able to access it. Nevermind the possibility of a "bank holiday" at some point.

I am not trying to freak anyone out or cause panic or worry. I am just trying to point out some wise steps for us to take that may help us care for our families should anything happen.

And to be quite honest, I also have a very bad feeling about the stock market.

Why Prophecy?

Some believe that studying prophecy is a waste of time. Obviously (given the nature of this blog) I disagree.

Here are some reasons (give #6 some serious thought):

1. Over 25% of the Bible is prophecy

2. If God put it in the Bible, shouldn’t you read it?

3. Rev. 19:10 says “…For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

4. Rev. 22:7 says "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."

5. Rev. 1:3 says “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”

6. Jesus said in Luke 19:40-45: “The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." If the Israelites had known their Old Testament prophecies, they would have recognized Jesus as their Messiah.


Now, studying prophecy to the exclusion of the rest of the Bible would be a huge mistake as well. As such, we will explore non-prophetic scriptures (NPS) at times, but the emphasis of this blog is prophetic. You should also spend your own time examining all scripture.

I will begin a series coming up on the book of Daniel. This book Lays the Groundwork For Prophecy (LGFP). There will be parts that we will be able to examine with the benefit of historical record, and there will be parts that have not occurred yet.

As we begin, please do not just take my word as truth. Please do your own reading and praying for understanding. With that in mind…

Please read Daniel 1 (for background) and Daniel 2 ahead of my next post.

US Census Using GPS Revisited

2 days ago, we examined the story of the US Census using GPS to mark your front door.

Today WND.com (World Net Daily, a conservative news website) has this story as one of their headlines. They have added more details as well. You can see it here: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97208

Something About Me

I love the following words:

* Boondoggle
* Tomfoolery

Just thought you should know (and you came here for enlightenment...)

Government Census Workers To GPS Your Front Door

Only within the last decade has the technology existed for some of the prophecies found in the Bible. In the past, the mark of the beast which controls all buying and selling seemed impossible. I mean, how could you actually control who buys and sells? Now we see many options available, all in the name of convenience.

Now, don't get me wrong- I don't believe we've seen this "mark" yet, nor do I believe that Obama is the antichrist (there is no Biblical evidence whatsoever that leads to him- a topic that we will be discussing soon). But I have seen so many of these stories that are just downright CREEPY!

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/10688

It's easy to read stories like this, and reports of FEMA camps etc., and worry. But PLEASE REMEMBER that no matter what you see, read, or experience in the days ahead- we believers are not to fear anything or anyone except God.
Jesus said:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body
in hell."

It's interesting that Jesus used those words to set up the well known sparrow reference below:

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall
to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very
hairs of your head are all numbered..."

If you believe in Jesus, I urge you to re-commit yourself to reading his Word daily. Pray for knowledge and understanding each time before you read.

If you don't believe in Jesus, or are not sure, you owe it to yourself to resolve your questions NOW. I mean an honest exploration of scripture that may take a lot of your time. You should also pray DAILY with an honest and true heart for God to reveal the truth to you. Why pray if you don't believe? Well, what do you have to lose?

And You Thought Nostradamus Was Cool...

If you thought Nostradamus was cool, check out God!

As you know, all Biblical prophets were used by God to deliver His message. God had a specific message for Isaiah regarding the future of Israel, that we can prove to have come true. And this isn't Just Some Generic Prophecy (JSGP) that could fit a number of possible events- God gives details here.

Isaiah wrote this prophecy during the time that the northern kingdom of Israel was under Assyrian domination, before the Babylonian capivity.
Isa 44:24
"This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, 25 who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense,
26 who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,' of the towns of Judah, 'They shall be built,' and of their ruins, 'I will restore them,' 27 who says to the watery deep, 'Be dry, and I will dry up your streams,' 28 who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid." '
Isa 45
1 "This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: 2 I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. 4 For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me.
5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, 13 I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the LORD Almighty."

So, what's so special about this?
History tells us that after Israel was conquered and taken into captivity by the Babylonians for the appointed time, Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, conquered Babylon and freed the Israelites. Not only did he send them back to their land, but he decreed that Jerusalem and the temple should be rebuilt. In addition, he proclaimed that there should be an offering taken for the people of Israel, and he even returned the temple articles which were taken by Nebuchadnezzar and kept in Babylon.

Isaiah ministered from approx 740-697 B.C.
Cyrus didn't conquer Babylon until approx 539-538 B.C.
This means that God gave the name and specific events that would occur 150-200 years later!

If you want to read "the rest of the story", read these 2 chapters:
2 Chronicles 36:22- Ezra 1. You can see it here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20chronicles%2036:22-ezra%201;&version=31;