- 5 months ago
A Bible study of the book of Daniel, chapter 9.
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00:00:00Hello friends, I'm Pastor Joel Oswell, I welcome you to our study at this time, we're getting
00:00:15back into Daniel 9, it's very exciting I think, I believe every time I open the Bible
00:00:20it's rather exciting to hear and read and hear God's word to our minds and our hearts.
00:00:30It's sitting down with your best friend and having a conversation, isn't it?
00:00:35We're getting back into Daniel 9, we're going to look at that in just a moment, but before
00:00:39we open God's word, it's always important to come to Him in prayer and ask for the Holy
00:00:44Spirit to guide and direct us, and I invite you to do that with me now, if you can kneel,
00:00:50please kneel.
00:00:50Reverent awe to our Creator God, God is love, that God who is merciful and patient with
00:01:00each and every one of us, forgives sins, but He's a just God as well.
00:01:05Let's kneel before Him, either physically or with our hearts, let's bow our heads.
00:01:10Father in Heaven, we do thank Thee for this wonderful opportunity to open Your Holy Word
00:01:15and get into prophecy here, we're in Daniel chapter 9, and we pray, Father, as we praise
00:01:21Your name here this morning on this Holy Sabbath day, that You will send the Holy Spirit to be
00:01:26with us and give us discernment and wisdom as we read these words, that You've protected
00:01:32through time for us who live in the time of the end.
00:01:36It's just an awesome thought, that You love us that much, that You would give us all that
00:01:43we need to become a part of the family of God again.
00:01:47Father, we praise Your name for Your love and mercy and for Your protective care.
00:01:53We thank You for the Holy Spirit who guides us into the truth and helps us to choose the
00:01:59right path over the wrong path.
00:02:00He gives us the power to stand for what is right, imputes power to us, and the forgiveness
00:02:14of sins imparts power to us to live a holy life, and we thank You for that.
00:02:19We thank You for Jesus who came to this planet, became like us, He's going to be like us for
00:02:24eternity.
00:02:24That's just a thought that we can't wrap our minds around, but we see it, and we see such
00:02:31love as that.
00:02:32And He came and He lived a righteous life showing what we can do with the Holy Spirit converting
00:02:38us in our hearts and changing our minds, that we can indeed keep Your holy law.
00:02:44And He died a death that we deserve.
00:02:46He took our sins upon Himself, and He was resurrected.
00:02:50Death couldn't hold Him.
00:02:51So we have that blessed hope that when He returns, we will go with Him.
00:02:57And so, Father, we praise Your name today.
00:02:59We pray that You be with those who can be with us here at this time.
00:03:03We pray for those who are suffering.
00:03:05I ask prayers for my father-in-law, that You be very near to him and the family as well,
00:03:10and all those who are suffering, Father.
00:03:13Pray that You will touch them with Your healing hand.
00:03:16Bring peace to their hearts and minds, a peace that only You can bring.
00:03:20And Lord, as Daniel prayed for the forgiveness of Israel, I pray for the forgiveness of Your
00:03:26church.
00:03:28And we as a people who have failed over and over and over again, and we've rebelled, I
00:03:34pray that You will forgive us, show mercy upon us, for You are God of mercy.
00:03:40And You've hung in with us for so long.
00:03:43Please continue to do so.
00:03:46Proclaim the blood that Jesus shed.
00:03:50May we be found faithful when He returns.
00:03:53I pray this in the name of Jesus, who is so worthy.
00:03:56Amen and amen.
00:03:59Well, friends, it is indeed good to be with you.
00:04:01We are getting back into this series of studies in Daniel chapter 9, which I have entitled
00:04:09The Annihilator.
00:04:11We find out that this little horn, the power behind this little horn, He's been wanting
00:04:16to annihilate God and God's people.
00:04:20And we will discover this as we go on through chapters 9, 10, 11, and 12.
00:04:25And onward through Revelation.
00:04:27We'll see it over and over and over again.
00:04:28But I've titled it The Annihilator, and this is episode 2.
00:04:33I don't know how many we're going to have.
00:04:36The Spirit does.
00:04:38And so we'll get through it, and we'll learn.
00:04:41If we have a willingness to learn, God will teach us, friends.
00:04:46But in our last study, we began Daniel chapter 9, and it starts with the most heartfelt prayer
00:04:52from Daniel to God.
00:04:53And he was seeking forgiveness for his sins and the rebellion of Israel against the Lord,
00:04:59all their sins.
00:05:02Daniel, you see, as we've learned, had assumed that the marei, you know, that interview between
00:05:09the two persons there in Daniel chapter 8, and they call that an audition, and that vision
00:05:16there at the end, the marei of Daniel 8, verse 14, he assumed that that was an extension
00:05:20of the 70-year captivity of God's people, as spoken of by Jeremiah the prophet in Jeremiah
00:05:27chapter 25 of his book.
00:05:31Daniel, he also sought understanding about the 2,300 years, and the cleansing of the sanctuary.
00:05:40He just couldn't quite put it together.
00:05:43And we found that he had a misunderstanding about which sanctuary that was, didn't he?
00:05:47Just like the Adventists did in that great Advent awakening.
00:05:51But let's pick up the prayer of Daniel, where we left off last time, Daniel 9, and we're
00:05:59going to look at verses 7 and 8 to begin with.
00:06:05Let's go to Daniel 9, verses 7 and 8.
00:06:07He says,
00:06:07O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces.
00:06:14Interesting, right?
00:06:16Confusion of faces.
00:06:17As at this day, to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all
00:06:23Israel that are near, and that are far off, he's not everybody, he's saying, through all
00:06:28the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass, that they have
00:06:33trespassed against thee.
00:06:35O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, he says again, to our kings, to our princes,
00:06:42and to our fathers.
00:06:44Because we have sinned against thee.
00:06:48You know, there is such a thing as, you know, what you would call vicarious confession, in
00:07:02which some holy individual, like Daniel, or say Moses too, they take to themselves the
00:07:08task of bearing the sins of their people, and pouring out the story before God as though
00:07:13the sins were their own.
00:07:17But we, as people who profess to follow Jesus, hardly need to go to our country, or people
00:07:22for sins to confess.
00:07:25Right?
00:07:25Because we have plenty of our own.
00:07:28And then there we come to God's infinite light, and His holiness, and the closer we get
00:07:34to Jesus, friends, the more we abhor ourselves, and repent, as Daniel did, in dust and ashes.
00:07:44And this has never changed throughout the history of mankind.
00:07:49Now, reading that there, the Hebrew word, bosheth, it's the root for the expression there, confusion
00:07:57of faces.
00:07:58What does Daniel mean by that?
00:08:01Confusion of faces.
00:08:04Well, it signifies shame, regret.
00:08:08It signifies disgrace.
00:08:11So Daniel's saying that all Israel is in open shame for all the world to see because of their
00:08:18sins against their God.
00:08:20Jeremiah 2, verses 26 and 27 says,
00:08:23As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed.
00:08:30They, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, saying to a stock,
00:08:35that's literally a tree or a piece of wood, he's saying, saying to a stock, thou art my
00:08:43father, and to a stone thou hast brought me forth.
00:08:48For they have turned their back unto me, and not their face.
00:08:51But in the time of their trouble, they will say, arise, save us.
00:08:56Isn't that what we do?
00:09:00We sin against God, and then when we get in trouble, we run to him, begging, save us.
00:09:07This is what God's saying.
00:09:09You go to idols, idols of wood and stone.
00:09:13They're your gods until you get in trouble.
00:09:14Now, there may be a play on the word shame there, bosheth.
00:09:24Bosheth was sometimes used as a title of contempt for bail.
00:09:29You can read that in Jeremiah 11.
00:09:30Hosea talks about it.
00:09:33Israel had chosen to serve shame rather than God.
00:09:37And her reward could be nothing but a shameful exposure.
00:09:42Let's go and look at Jeremiah.
00:09:43Jeremiah chapter 3.
00:09:45Let's look at verses 22 to 25.
00:09:51Jeremiah chapter 3, verse 22.
00:09:54Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.
00:09:59Behold, in our next study, friends, I'm going to talk about the history of Israel.
00:10:04Because we read these things, and it's remarkable how often God forgives us.
00:10:10That's how much love he has for us.
00:10:13But he says, return.
00:10:16Always, it's God coming after us.
00:10:17Started in the garden.
00:10:19Adam and Eve sinned.
00:10:20God came into the garden seeking them.
00:10:22Where art thou, he says.
00:10:24And here in Jeremiah 3, he says, return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings.
00:10:32Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God.
00:10:36Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of mountains.
00:10:41Truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
00:10:47For shame hath devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth,
00:10:51their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
00:10:55Verse 25, we lie down in our shame and our confusion, covereth us.
00:11:01For we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers from our youth even unto this day,
00:11:10and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.
00:11:14Sounds a lot like what Daniel was saying in his prayer, doesn't it?
00:11:19It says, even our fathers and the priests and everybody, Daniel said.
00:11:27And so we see here really a sharp contrast drawn between the delusive, worthless orgies of idol worship,
00:11:38and that's what they were, friends.
00:11:39And we see this contrast between that and the security of the worship of Jehovah.
00:11:50For example, Saturnalia, right?
00:11:54Saturnalia, the God of Saturn, celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn.
00:11:59There was a public banquet, followed by a private gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere.
00:12:07And this has evolved, thanks to the Roman Catholic Church, into what is called Christmas.
00:12:13Originally, friends, it was Christ's Mass.
00:12:19Another one was Bacchanalus.
00:12:22He was the God of wine and freedom and intoxication and ecstasy,
00:12:27as well as other false gods besides Bacchanalus.
00:12:33They worshipped false gods of carnal pleasure, you see.
00:12:38Sexual orgies in the groves throughout the land of Israel.
00:12:41You read it throughout the Old Testament.
00:12:43And if you study into and dig into the original languages, you see it.
00:12:51The depravity.
00:12:53The English doesn't do its service.
00:12:56It puts a veil over it, over this abomination.
00:13:02Now, what was meant by the expression,
00:13:04For shame hath devoured.
00:13:06I found that interesting.
00:13:07You know, some commentators say that this refers to the large numbers of sheep and cattle,
00:13:14you know, that were sacrificed to heathen deities and to the children burned,
00:13:20as a sacrifice to Molech, the fiery god of Ammon, you read about in Psalms and in Jeremiah.
00:13:28But it seems, I think, it's more likely that the general ruin resulting from Israel's apostasy is actually being referred to here.
00:13:35The Lord desired a complete acknowledgement of sin and an acceptance of the chastisement without any excuses.
00:13:44We're good at that.
00:13:46You know, any excuses being offered or any extenuating circumstances, you know, being requested.
00:13:53Oh, it's because of this.
00:13:55Just give me a little more time.
00:13:58Right?
00:14:00Daniel, in his prayer, he contrasts the righteousness of God with the unrighteousness of Israel.
00:14:07In all his dealings with mankind in general and with Israel in particular,
00:14:12God has always manifested righteousness.
00:14:15Always.
00:14:17But Israel didn't keep their covenant with God, did they?
00:14:20They followed after the idolatrous practices of other nations.
00:14:24And instead of making their Creator's name a praise on the earth,
00:14:28they held it up to the contempt of all the heathen.
00:14:33And that reminds me of a lot of scriptures.
00:14:37Several scriptures when you think of that.
00:14:39Here you have the opportunity to bring glory to God, but you don't.
00:14:44And you don't do it on purpose.
00:14:47That's what rebellion is.
00:14:51But some scriptures pop up in my mind when I contemplate Israel, ancient Israel's reaction.
00:14:57And friends, we're the same human beings as they were.
00:15:00And maybe we're even worse.
00:15:02Have you ever thought about that?
00:15:05Think about that.
00:15:07What about 2 Peter 2 and verse 2?
00:15:10What does Peter say?
00:15:11He says,
00:15:12And many shall follow their pernicious ways, he says,
00:15:17by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
00:15:24We look at Israel and isn't that what was going on?
00:15:26This is what Daniel was pleading to God about?
00:15:29For forgiveness?
00:15:30But here Peter,
00:15:32Peter's warning about false teachers in the church who were teaching
00:15:35lucidiousness among other carnal sins.
00:15:40Sounds like nothing had changed in Israel through the centuries, doesn't it?
00:15:44So the heathen did not distinguish between genuine Christians
00:15:48and those who were following the false teachers
00:15:50and engaging in their immoral practices.
00:15:53Christian teaching was blamed for the excess of all the backsliders, you see.
00:16:01The unchrist-like conduct of a few brings discredit upon the whole church, doesn't it?
00:16:07We've seen that to be the case.
00:16:11Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 22,
00:16:17Paul makes a statement which is a very interesting statement
00:16:20and I think it gets twisted around and people have different ideas about it.
00:16:24He says,
00:16:25Abstain from all appearance of evil.
00:16:29Now the reading of the King James Version
00:16:32has sometimes been used to prohibit the doing of that which is right
00:16:36simply because it may appear wrong to some onlookers.
00:16:42And as appropriate as this counsel may be under certain circumstances,
00:16:46it's not really what Paul is conveying here, I don't believe.
00:16:50There are also many exceptions to such a rule as this.
00:16:54I mean, if you think about it,
00:16:55and think about it for a moment.
00:16:57Jesus healed on the Sabbath.
00:16:59John 5, you know, you can read it.
00:17:02And he ate with publicans and sinners, didn't he?
00:17:06Is that abstaining from the appearance of evil?
00:17:09Let's think this through.
00:17:10To the prejudiced Jewish leaders,
00:17:14these acts had the appearance of evil, of course.
00:17:16But in spite of this prejudice,
00:17:19Jesus did these acts as part of his great work of righteousness.
00:17:22He came to save what?
00:17:24That which was lost.
00:17:27However, he kept himself entirely free from every form of evil.
00:17:33Paul has referred to the good in verse 21 in the singular,
00:17:40since he sees the good as being the one fruit of the Spirit.
00:17:44But he recognizes that evil appears in many guises,
00:17:47and he warns us against all the many forms in which it masquerades.
00:17:52We are to move as directed by the Holy Spirit always,
00:17:56even if others may see it as the appearance of evil.
00:18:01Can we say amen to that?
00:18:06God has directed me into places that if some of you saw me going in,
00:18:10you may wonder.
00:18:15So it's not black and white always, friends.
00:18:18Here's another scripture.
00:18:20Romans chapter 14, verses 16 and 17.
00:18:24Paul says,
00:18:25Let not then your good be evil spoken of.
00:18:30For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink,
00:18:32but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
00:18:35And that's the key.
00:18:38That's the key.
00:18:40One who is strong of faith should not let the selfish use of his liberty
00:18:44give occasion to those who may be new in the faith,
00:18:49or weak in the faith, as Romans 14, verse 1 says,
00:18:52To condemn and speak evil of something that to him is a good thing and a blessing, you see.
00:18:58He should beware lest he give any cause for others to reproach him for the harm
00:19:04his personal conduct may have brought to some.
00:19:07And I call them over-scrupulous, you know, members of the church.
00:19:12Those who lack actually Christian maturity, they haven't gotten there yet.
00:19:16So sometimes it's good, I just won't do that because of their benefit.
00:19:21It may be a stumbling block to them, although it's righteousness to God.
00:19:26So we must be mindful of our audience and surroundings, really at all times.
00:19:32But friends, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to do righteous acts always.
00:19:37Never say no to the Holy Spirit.
00:19:39You know, one time, one time we had a family that worshipped with our church for a good while,
00:19:45and the wife would approach me, pull me aside, and tell me what I should be preaching about.
00:19:50And this is where one's got to be tactful in how they respond.
00:19:55As a minister, or just a public speaker, it'll be best to get your teaching or point across
00:20:00if you know your audience, right?
00:20:02You've got to know your audience, who you're speaking to.
00:20:04In fact, you know, and maybe I've said this to you before,
00:20:08they say that the average grade is like an eighth grade education to most people around the world.
00:20:20And so that when you speak as a minister, you know, you don't speak in language that you learned from Oxford.
00:20:31They're not going to understand what you're saying.
00:20:36So I guess the Lord called me a hick from Indiana because I speak in like an eighth through tenth grade educated language.
00:20:43I don't know.
00:20:44But I hope I get my point across.
00:20:46I hope I know and can have discernment.
00:20:48God's given me that discernment of who my audience is.
00:20:52And so I heard this, you know, and she would do this from time to time,
00:20:57but I thanked her, let her know that her input was very valuable,
00:21:00and it was, it was.
00:21:03And I would get to the subject that she wanted.
00:21:05In due time, I was trying to lay a spiritual foundation first.
00:21:11We were a new home church of mainly people who were acquainted with the Bible,
00:21:18knew something about the Bible,
00:21:20knew enough to give their hearts to Jesus.
00:21:22But sometimes you've got to get, like Paul, had to have the scales removed from their eyes
00:21:28and get a good foundation first.
00:21:33But my point is that she didn't recognize the audience and the spiritual needs of those around her.
00:21:38And as time went on, we did get to these subjects, you know, that she brought up.
00:21:45But as the Spirit led, and I'll tell you, friends,
00:21:48trust the Holy Spirit to lead the way and not our own inclinations.
00:21:51And this will keep us from heading down the wrong spiritual path.
00:21:58And we must also be aware of our surroundings and audience.
00:22:01Like I said, eyes are almost always upon us.
00:22:05You may not think people are watching.
00:22:06You profess to be a Christian,
00:22:08and you may not think people are watching you wherever you are,
00:22:10but they are.
00:22:11If they know that you profess to be a Christian,
00:22:13the devil has his minions scattered all around us.
00:22:18So, eyes are upon us.
00:22:23And so, anyway, we see that Israel had repeatedly broken the covenant with God.
00:22:30Yet the purpose of God has got to be accomplished, right?
00:22:35The knowledge of his will must be spread abroad all over the earth.
00:22:39Still got to go forward.
00:22:42So God brought the hand of the oppressor upon his people, Nebuchadnezzar,
00:22:46Nebuchadnezzar, and scattered them as captives among the nations.
00:22:51In affliction, many of them repented of their transgressions.
00:22:54They sought the Lord.
00:22:56That happens probably more often than we think.
00:23:01You know, we get into persecution, whatever,
00:23:03and we naturally, we love Jesus.
00:23:06We run to him, don't we?
00:23:09But even those who haven't made that decision yet,
00:23:13you know, fear can play a part.
00:23:15A part of bringing you to the cross.
00:23:19And God will use that.
00:23:22He'll use it to reach your heart and give you of the Holy Spirit.
00:23:27Convert you.
00:23:31But here's Israel.
00:23:32They're scattered throughout the countries of the heathen.
00:23:34They spread the knowledge of the true God, you see.
00:23:37They wanted to stay together in their sin.
00:23:41And God spread them out, brought the persecutor in.
00:23:45And when they became converted, they spread the truth of God everywhere.
00:23:50And the principles of God's law came in conflict with the customs and practices of those nations.
00:23:56And what happened?
00:23:59Idolaters endeavored to crush out the true faith.
00:24:02The little horn, that's what he's going to do.
00:24:04Satan is at war with God.
00:24:09Isn't that right?
00:24:10Great controversy, that's what it's all about.
00:24:14But the Lord in his providence brought his servants, Daniel and Nehemiah and Ezra,
00:24:20face to face with kings and rulers,
00:24:22that these idolaters might have an opportunity to receive the light.
00:24:28Do you think it would be any different with us,
00:24:30who live here down at the time of the end?
00:24:32No, God's truth has to go out.
00:24:40And so the work which God had given his people to do in prosperity,
00:24:43in their own borders,
00:24:46but which had been neglected through their unfaithfulness,
00:24:50was done by them in captivity under great trial and humiliation.
00:24:55And like I referred to,
00:24:59this unfortunately will be repeated by the remnant of God here in the end times.
00:25:05Let me read this to you.
00:25:06It's from Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, page 463.
00:25:12Notice what the prophet says,
00:25:14The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity,
00:25:20she will have to do in a terrible crisis.
00:25:25In a terrible crisis.
00:25:31Under most discouraging, forbidding circumstances, she says,
00:25:35the warnings that worldly conformity has silenced or withheld
00:25:39must be given under the fiercest opposition from enemies of the faith.
00:25:45And at that time,
00:25:47the superficial conservative class,
00:25:49whose influence has steadily retarded the progress of the work,
00:25:53will renounce the faith
00:25:55and take their stand with its avowed enemies.
00:25:59Isn't that remarkable?
00:25:59Toward whom their sympathies have long been tending.
00:26:08These apostates will then manifest the most bitter enmity,
00:26:13doing all in their power to oppress and malign their former brethren
00:26:17and to excite indignation against them.
00:26:19Notice that she says,
00:26:20This day is just before us.
00:26:23The members of the church will individually be tested and proved.
00:26:27They will be placed in circumstances
00:26:30where they will be forced to bear witness for the truth.
00:26:33Now, God's not going to physically force you against your conscience.
00:26:37That's not what's being said here.
00:26:39But circumstances.
00:26:42Circumstances is going to force us.
00:26:44We will be forced to bear witness for the truth.
00:26:47Many will be called to speak before councils and in courts of justice,
00:26:51perhaps separately and alone.
00:26:54The experience which would have helped them in this emergency,
00:26:57they have neglected to obtain.
00:26:59And their souls are burdened with remorse
00:27:02for wasted opportunities and neglected privileges.
00:27:06I encourage you to read more out of Test Moisture Church 1.5.
00:27:12God doesn't leave us, but it's going to be difficult, you see,
00:27:15because we haven't been making wise use of our time right now.
00:27:20She says that the day is just before us.
00:27:27And I find many in the professed church are blind to this apostasy.
00:27:33And there are many reasons for it,
00:27:34but as I've stated many times,
00:27:36you have to leave the bar of Babylon
00:27:38before you can sober up and have spiritual insight
00:27:41to the condition of the structure you're holding up with your support.
00:27:44God is calling you out of Babylon, friends.
00:27:53In Matthew 23, Jesus called the leaders who were leading all to such a condition as that.
00:27:59He called them blind guides.
00:28:01Of course, he had many descriptions for them in the chapter.
00:28:06Hypocrites, serpents, vipers, murderers.
00:28:10In Matthew 15, he told the disciples not to worry about the rage of such people
00:28:14and said that they were the blind leading the blind.
00:28:19But pray, pray for your enemies, he said.
00:28:24And that's what we need to be doing.
00:28:26Let's go back to Jeremiah, this time chapter 7.
00:28:28Let's look at verses 18 to 20.
00:28:32Jeremiah 7, verse 18.
00:28:36The children, and this is very interesting.
00:28:39The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire,
00:28:41and the women knead their dough to make cakes to the Queen of Heaven.
00:28:46Have you ever heard of the Queen of Heaven?
00:28:50And to pour out drink offerings unto other gods,
00:28:54that they may provoke me to anger.
00:28:56Now notice in verse 19 what he says.
00:28:58Do they provoke me to anger, saith the Lord?
00:29:01Do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
00:29:06Therefore, thus saith the Lord God,
00:29:09Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place,
00:29:13upon man and upon beast,
00:29:15and upon the trees of the field,
00:29:17and upon the fruit of the ground,
00:29:19and it shall burn and shall not be quenched.
00:29:22It shall burn and shall not be quenched.
00:29:28It's rebellion.
00:29:31And of course we know that they
00:29:33turn their backs to the Lord,
00:29:36and the rising of the sun,
00:29:38and worship the sun from the temple,
00:29:41the temple of God.
00:29:45Made cakes
00:29:46to Tammuz?
00:29:52It said there, though,
00:29:53Jeremiah says the Queen of Heaven.
00:29:56Well, who's that?
00:29:59Who is that?
00:30:01The Queen of Heaven is usually identified with the Assyro-Babylonian god,
00:30:06false god, Ishtar.
00:30:07Inasmuch as there were immoral ceremonies connected with this worship,
00:30:12it aroused Jeremiah's,
00:30:14I mean, he had a hot indignation,
00:30:17particularly since it appears to have been a prominent part of the idolatry
00:30:20that had been practiced by Israel.
00:30:23Ishtar, the mother goddess,
00:30:25was the equivalent of the divinity known to the Hebrews as Ashtoreth,
00:30:29which you read through the Old Testament,
00:30:31and to the Canaanites as Astart.
00:30:33I've spoken about this before.
00:30:35You know, Astart,
00:30:37whose figurines are found in Palestine's archaeology
00:30:41from the mid-1800s onward.
00:30:45This goddess of fertility,
00:30:48of maternity,
00:30:48of sexual love,
00:30:50and of war
00:30:51was worshipped in rites of a grossly immoral,
00:30:55debasing character.
00:30:56They had temple prostitutes, friends.
00:30:58They would take worshippers to the gardens and the groves
00:31:00and have sexual orgies.
00:31:05As a form of worship to this false goddess.
00:31:09And she was essentially the same goddess,
00:31:11though worshipped under many names and in many aspects,
00:31:16such as the Earth Mother,
00:31:18the Virgin Mother.
00:31:20See, I identify, in a general sense,
00:31:22with Artigatus, the great mother of Asia Minor,
00:31:26or Artemis,
00:31:27that's Diana of Ephesus,
00:31:30Paul talks about,
00:31:31you know,
00:31:31Venus,
00:31:32and others.
00:31:35Various names applied to the
00:31:37virgin
00:31:38mother goddess
00:31:41contain an element
00:31:42meaning lady
00:31:43or mistress.
00:31:45Isn't that interesting?
00:31:46Not wife.
00:31:48Right?
00:31:50Names like
00:31:51Inini,
00:31:52Erneni,
00:31:53or Beltis.
00:31:53You've probably heard more about Beltis.
00:31:56Some of the designations were Beltai,
00:31:59meaning my lady,
00:32:00which is the exact equivalent of the Italian word Madonna.
00:32:06Belitni,
00:32:07Our Lady,
00:32:08and Queen of Heaven,
00:32:09the name under which Ishtar was worshipped on the housetops
00:32:12as morning or evening star,
00:32:16with an offering of baked cakes,
00:32:18wine,
00:32:18and incense.
00:32:20Ishtar was also known as the merciful mother
00:32:22who intercedes with the gods for her worshippers.
00:32:25Does this sound familiar to anyone?
00:32:31And so,
00:32:32the entire Hebrew family,
00:32:34including the children,
00:32:35was united in idolatrous worship.
00:32:39They made kolonim,
00:32:41which is sacrificial cakes.
00:32:43The offering of sacrificial cakes
00:32:45was a characteristic in a number of the
00:32:47Near Eastern cults.
00:32:48Some of these names and attributes
00:32:51are today applied to the Virgin Mary.
00:32:54And many of the localized virgin cults
00:32:56in the Old World
00:32:57are modern,
00:32:59in fact,
00:33:00survivals of the worship
00:33:02of some of these various aspects
00:33:03of that ancient mother goddess.
00:33:07You know,
00:33:09Epiphanius,
00:33:11in his writing
00:33:12Against Heresies,
00:33:14declared that some women
00:33:15go as far as to,
00:33:16quote,
00:33:17this way he says,
00:33:18offer cakes in the name
00:33:19into the honor
00:33:20of the Blessed Virgin.
00:33:24And he also says,
00:33:25quote,
00:33:25upon certain days
00:33:26they present bread
00:33:27and offer it
00:33:28in the name of Mary.
00:33:29But they all partake of this.
00:33:35You know,
00:33:35the Catholic Church's
00:33:36veneration of Mary
00:33:37as Queen of Heaven
00:33:38has deep historical roots.
00:33:40But the title being used,
00:33:43first off,
00:33:44I think in prayers
00:33:45and devotional literature
00:33:46long before its
00:33:47formal definition
00:33:49given by the papacy,
00:33:52the practice
00:33:52actually dates back
00:33:54to the early centuries
00:33:55of Christianity.
00:33:57And it makes sense
00:33:58because it's a pull
00:33:59from paganism.
00:34:00Part of their evangelism
00:34:02was to reach the pagans
00:34:04was to make part
00:34:04of the pagan customs
00:34:06and rituals
00:34:06and give them
00:34:08Christian names.
00:34:09They brought them
00:34:10right into the church.
00:34:17The early centuries
00:34:18of Christianity.
00:34:20There's evidence
00:34:21of the title
00:34:21appearing in writings
00:34:22from the 4th century onward
00:34:24such as in the works
00:34:25of Ephraim,
00:34:27Ephraim,
00:34:28the Syrian
00:34:29and Gregory of Nyssa.
00:34:32While the title
00:34:33was widely used,
00:34:34though,
00:34:34in liturgical
00:34:35and devotional context,
00:34:37it was formally defined
00:34:38by Pope Pius XII
00:34:40in his 1954 encyclical
00:34:43Ad Cale Reginum,
00:34:45or to the Queen of Heaven,
00:34:48where he declared
00:34:49Mary's queenship
00:34:50as a dogma
00:34:51of the church.
00:34:52But he emphasized
00:34:53her role as Queen of Heaven
00:34:55and her close association
00:34:56with her son Jesus
00:34:58as kingship.
00:35:03In our day,
00:35:05and maybe some of you
00:35:06were alive back here
00:35:07in 1954.
00:35:08I wasn't.
00:35:10But,
00:35:10in our day,
00:35:13Pope John Paul II
00:35:14referred to Mary
00:35:15as the Queen of Heaven
00:35:16in all of his teachings,
00:35:17pretty much.
00:35:18He emphasized her royal dignity
00:35:22in relation
00:35:22to her role
00:35:24as the mother
00:35:25of Jesus Christ.
00:35:28In fact,
00:35:29Pope John Paul II
00:35:30said in
00:35:31the newspaper
00:35:34of the Holy See,
00:35:35it's called
00:35:36Le Observatore Romano,
00:35:381997.
00:35:40Notice what he said.
00:35:40He said,
00:35:41quote,
00:35:41Mary's queenship
00:35:43is not only founded
00:35:44on her divine motherhood,
00:35:46but also on her
00:35:47cooperation
00:35:48with her son
00:35:50in the work
00:35:50of redemption.
00:35:55Mary's queen
00:35:55not only because
00:35:56she is mother of God,
00:35:58that's a lie,
00:36:00but also because
00:36:01associated
00:36:02as the new Eve
00:36:03with the new Adam,
00:36:05that's Mary
00:36:05and Jesus,
00:36:06the new Eve
00:36:07and the new Adam.
00:36:08She cooperated
00:36:12in the work
00:36:14of the redemption
00:36:15of the human race,
00:36:16end quote.
00:36:19Such incredible blasphemy.
00:36:23Of course,
00:36:23Daniel told us
00:36:24about this.
00:36:27Daniel 7 told us
00:36:28that the little horn
00:36:29would be a blasphemous power.
00:36:33You know,
00:36:33in January of 1999,
00:36:35Pope John Paul II
00:36:36visited St. Louis,
00:36:37Missouri.
00:36:37here in the United States.
00:36:38And maybe some of you
00:36:39can remember
00:36:40that our friend
00:36:42Danny Vieira
00:36:42was there.
00:36:43The entire visit,
00:36:44he was handing out
00:36:45his pamphlet.
00:36:46He'd wrote up a pamphlet.
00:36:47It was called,
00:36:48Is the Virgin Mary Dead
00:36:49or Alive?
00:36:50And he made a video
00:36:51about it.
00:36:52I have
00:36:53somewhere around here.
00:36:56But,
00:36:57we helped fund
00:36:57the publications
00:36:58of thousands
00:36:59of those pamphlets
00:37:00in English
00:37:00and in Spanish,
00:37:01in fact.
00:37:03And I still have
00:37:03some of those copies.
00:37:05But Danny addresses
00:37:06this pagan idea
00:37:08of Mary being
00:37:08the Queen of Heaven
00:37:09in that pamphlet
00:37:11that he wrote.
00:37:12And it really
00:37:13hit a nerve
00:37:13in the Catholic Church,
00:37:14let me tell you.
00:37:16And so they went
00:37:17after Danny
00:37:17in a lot of their
00:37:18publications.
00:37:20But the attention
00:37:21that that raised
00:37:23brought a lot
00:37:24of Bible truth
00:37:25to thousands
00:37:25and thousands
00:37:27of people.
00:37:29I miss
00:37:29Brother Danny.
00:37:30to see him
00:37:31again someday.
00:37:34But the sacrificial
00:37:35cakes of Jeremiah's
00:37:36day were a kind
00:37:37of a meal offering
00:37:38with which a drink
00:37:39offering was combined
00:37:40as a part of
00:37:41their worship
00:37:42to this false
00:37:43goddess.
00:37:44It's thought
00:37:45that the figure
00:37:46of the goddess
00:37:46may have been
00:37:47stamped on those
00:37:48cakes as well.
00:37:50That's
00:37:50not really
00:37:53a lot of proof
00:37:54to that.
00:37:54There are some
00:37:55things that indicate
00:37:56it though,
00:37:56some writings.
00:37:58The worship
00:37:58of the Queen
00:37:59of Heaven
00:37:59was but one
00:38:00form of foreign
00:38:01idolatry being
00:38:02carried on by
00:38:03most of all
00:38:04of Israel.
00:38:05And although the
00:38:06words in italics
00:38:07there, you read
00:38:07it in Jeremiah 7,
00:38:09they were supplied
00:38:10in an attempt
00:38:11to complete the
00:38:12sense,
00:38:14they actually
00:38:14diminished the
00:38:15abrupt force
00:38:16of the Hebrew.
00:38:18Do they provoke
00:38:20me, God said?
00:38:22I emphasized
00:38:22that when we
00:38:23read it.
00:38:24Do they provoke
00:38:25me?
00:38:25And then he says,
00:38:26is it not
00:38:27themselves?
00:38:31The consequences
00:38:32of the people's
00:38:33own idolatry
00:38:34were to fall
00:38:34on their own
00:38:35heads.
00:38:37This is what
00:38:38God's saying
00:38:39here.
00:38:41Do they provoke
00:38:42me?
00:38:43Is it not
00:38:44themselves?
00:38:46Let's go to
00:38:47Daniel 9.
00:38:48Let's move on
00:38:49to Daniel 9
00:38:49verse 9.
00:38:53We do that,
00:38:54don't we?
00:38:54Is it not
00:38:56ourselves?
00:39:00Daniel 9
00:39:01verse 9.
00:39:01To the Lord
00:39:02our God
00:39:02belong mercies
00:39:03and forgivenesses,
00:39:05though we have
00:39:06rebelled against
00:39:07Him.
00:39:08Neither have we
00:39:09obeyed the voice
00:39:10of the Lord
00:39:10our God
00:39:10to walk in
00:39:11His laws.
00:39:14There it is
00:39:15again.
00:39:16Which He set
00:39:17before us
00:39:17by His servants,
00:39:19the prophets.
00:39:21There I talked
00:39:21about,
00:39:22there's a relationship
00:39:22there between
00:39:23us and God's
00:39:24law.
00:39:26And we find
00:39:26it here,
00:39:26Daniel talking
00:39:27about it.
00:39:29And so,
00:39:31Daniel's prayer
00:39:33continues through
00:39:34these verses
00:39:35by contrasting
00:39:36God and the
00:39:38Jewish nation.
00:39:40In verse 7,
00:39:42righteousness
00:39:43belongs to Him.
00:39:45In verse 9,
00:39:47mercy and
00:39:47forgiveness,
00:39:48literally the
00:39:49compassions and
00:39:50the forgiveness
00:39:51belong to Him.
00:39:54And here,
00:39:55Daniel says,
00:39:56mercies and
00:39:57forgivenesses.
00:39:59And despite
00:40:00Israel's backsliding
00:40:01rebellion,
00:40:03Daniel remained
00:40:04confident that the
00:40:05Lord, because of
00:40:05His great mercy,
00:40:07was ever ready to
00:40:08forgive those who
00:40:09should come to
00:40:10Him with a
00:40:10contrite heart.
00:40:13That's why,
00:40:13I think next time
00:40:14we get together,
00:40:15I want to go
00:40:15through the history
00:40:16of Israel and
00:40:16see how merciful
00:40:17God has been
00:40:18to us human
00:40:20beings.
00:40:24I mean,
00:40:26we wouldn't be
00:40:27as merciful.
00:40:28We're filled
00:40:29with sin,
00:40:30aren't we?
00:40:31Fortunately.
00:40:32But we can
00:40:32work on that.
00:40:33God will help
00:40:34us to overcome.
00:40:37But in this
00:40:39confidence,
00:40:40Daniel pleads
00:40:40with God for
00:40:41the people of
00:40:42Israel.
00:40:43He sets forth
00:40:44in bold relief,
00:40:46really,
00:40:46the compassion
00:40:47of God in
00:40:47contrast with
00:40:49the sinfulness
00:40:50of the people.
00:40:51He lays it
00:40:52out.
00:40:54And the reason
00:40:54he lays it
00:40:55out, basically,
00:40:56is to show
00:40:56God that we
00:40:58recognize it.
00:41:00You know,
00:41:01there are no
00:41:01excuses.
00:41:06But,
00:41:07to the Jewish
00:41:07nation,
00:41:08in which Daniel
00:41:09included himself,
00:41:11belongs
00:41:12confusion of
00:41:13faces in
00:41:14verses 7 and
00:41:148.
00:41:15He acknowledged
00:41:16that the Jews
00:41:17had been
00:41:17scattered among
00:41:18the nations,
00:41:19including Babylon,
00:41:20because of
00:41:21their transgressions.
00:41:22Yet,
00:41:23he reminded
00:41:23the Lord that
00:41:24although his
00:41:24people had
00:41:25sinned,
00:41:26he was still
00:41:27a God of
00:41:28forgiveness.
00:41:30It's a
00:41:31beautiful,
00:41:32beautiful prayer.
00:41:35But Daniel
00:41:35must have been
00:41:36concerned that
00:41:37despite God's
00:41:39faithfulness and
00:41:40God's mercy,
00:41:42the concept
00:41:43that the
00:41:43transgressors are
00:41:44come to the
00:41:45full there,
00:41:46you read it
00:41:47down in
00:41:47verse 23,
00:41:49caused God to
00:41:49reach his
00:41:50limit of
00:41:50forbearance on
00:41:51account of the
00:41:52Jews'
00:41:52longstanding sins
00:41:53against him.
00:41:55Because of
00:41:56Jesus, we know
00:41:57that God is
00:41:57faithful.
00:41:58And just to
00:41:59forgive our
00:41:59sins, though,
00:42:00right?
00:42:01And cleanse us
00:42:01from all
00:42:02unrighteousness,
00:42:031 John 1,
00:42:039.
00:42:04But we must
00:42:05also remember
00:42:06that a time
00:42:06is approaching
00:42:07when probation
00:42:07is going to
00:42:08close on all
00:42:09humanity.
00:42:09whether it
00:42:11death for
00:42:13us as a
00:42:14people
00:42:15individually or
00:42:16when Revelation
00:42:1622, 11
00:42:17comes to
00:42:18pass and
00:42:18God closes
00:42:19probation.
00:42:20Let me read
00:42:21this to you.
00:42:22This is from
00:42:22the Spirit of
00:42:23Prophecy,
00:42:23volume 2,
00:42:24page 108.
00:42:27Quote,
00:42:28The Jews
00:42:29had so far
00:42:30fallen from
00:42:31the ancient
00:42:31teachings of
00:42:32Jehovah that
00:42:33they held that
00:42:34they would be
00:42:34righteous in
00:42:35the sight of
00:42:36God and
00:42:36receive the
00:42:37fulfillment of
00:42:38his promises if
00:42:39they strictly
00:42:40kept the letter
00:42:41of the law
00:42:42given them by
00:42:42Moses.
00:42:44The zeal with
00:42:46which they
00:42:46followed the
00:42:47teachings of
00:42:48the elders
00:42:49gave them an
00:42:51air of great
00:42:52piety.
00:42:53You remember
00:42:54I spoke about
00:42:57this at
00:42:58length when
00:43:00we were
00:43:00looking and
00:43:01studying Daniel
00:43:02chapter 7.
00:43:03We were
00:43:04looking at how
00:43:05and when the
00:43:05Jews and the
00:43:06papacy superseded
00:43:07the word of
00:43:07God with the
00:43:08traditions of
00:43:10the elders or
00:43:10with the
00:43:11papacy, the
00:43:12church fathers.
00:43:13You remember
00:43:13that?
00:43:16This is what
00:43:16she's talking
00:43:17about here.
00:43:18The zeal
00:43:19with which they
00:43:19followed the
00:43:20teachings of
00:43:21the elders
00:43:21gave them an
00:43:22air of great
00:43:22piety.
00:43:25Not content
00:43:26with performing
00:43:27those certain
00:43:28services which
00:43:29God has
00:43:29specified to
00:43:30them through
00:43:30Moses, they
00:43:31were continually
00:43:32reaching for
00:43:33more rigid and
00:43:35difficult duties.
00:43:38They measured
00:43:39their holiness by
00:43:40the multitude of
00:43:41their ceremonies
00:43:42while their
00:43:43hearts were
00:43:44filled with
00:43:44hypocrisy, pride,
00:43:47and avarice.
00:43:49The curse of
00:43:50God was upon
00:43:51them for their
00:43:51iniquities while
00:43:52they professed to
00:43:53be the only
00:43:54righteous nation
00:43:55upon earth.
00:44:02Self-deception.
00:44:03It's what sin
00:44:04does, doesn't
00:44:04it?
00:44:06And we
00:44:07looked at the
00:44:07remarkable
00:44:08similarities between
00:44:09the Jewish nation
00:44:10and the Catholic
00:44:10Church in their
00:44:12extolling of
00:44:13tradition over the
00:44:14word of God, and
00:44:14I encourage you to
00:44:16go back through the
00:44:17messages in Daniel
00:44:187 as it's laid
00:44:19out more thoroughly
00:44:21there.
00:44:23But the same
00:44:24spirit's involved in
00:44:24both cases.
00:44:26Remember, there are
00:44:27only two spirits in
00:44:28this world.
00:44:28You've heard me say
00:44:29it over and over.
00:44:29The spirit of
00:44:30Christ, the spirit
00:44:30of Antichrist.
00:44:32When the word of
00:44:33God and his law
00:44:34are placed beneath
00:44:35the traditions of
00:44:36men, you know
00:44:37for sure that it's
00:44:38the spirit of
00:44:38Antichrist that's
00:44:39leading the way.
00:44:42You can take that
00:44:43to the bank, so
00:44:44to speak, the old
00:44:45saying.
00:44:46Go to Daniel 9
00:44:47again, verse 11.
00:44:48Yea, all Israel
00:44:51have transgressed
00:44:52thy law, even by
00:44:54departing, that
00:44:55they might not
00:44:55obey thy voice.
00:44:57Therefore the
00:44:57curse is poured
00:44:58upon us, and the
00:44:59oath that is
00:45:00written in the
00:45:01law of Moses, the
00:45:02servant of God,
00:45:03because we have
00:45:04sinned against
00:45:05him.
00:45:06And he hath
00:45:07confirmed his
00:45:07words, which he
00:45:08spake against us
00:45:10and against our
00:45:10judges that judged
00:45:11us by bringing
00:45:12upon us great
00:45:13evil.
00:45:14For under the
00:45:15whole heaven hath
00:45:15not been done as
00:45:17hath been done
00:45:17upon Jerusalem.
00:45:19Verse 13.
00:45:20As it is written
00:45:21in the law of
00:45:22Moses, all this
00:45:23evil is come upon
00:45:24us.
00:45:25Yet made we not
00:45:26our prayer before
00:45:27the Lord our God,
00:45:28that we might turn
00:45:29from our iniquities
00:45:30and understand
00:45:31thy truth?
00:45:33Therefore hath the
00:45:33Lord watched upon
00:45:35the evil and brought
00:45:36it upon us.
00:45:37For the Lord our
00:45:38God is righteous in
00:45:39all his works,
00:45:40which he doeth.
00:45:42For we obey
00:45:43not his voice.
00:45:44For we obeyed
00:45:48not his voice.
00:45:51He didn't obey
00:45:51the word of God.
00:45:54You know,
00:45:54Daniel had studied
00:45:55the curses for
00:45:57disobedience,
00:45:58which the Lord
00:45:59pronounced through
00:45:59Moses.
00:46:01And they're recorded
00:46:02actually in Leviticus
00:46:0326,
00:46:04Deuteronomy 27,
00:46:05we went to
00:46:05Deuteronomy 28,
00:46:07looked at some of
00:46:07those.
00:46:08And so he declared
00:46:09that these curses
00:46:10were being visited
00:46:11upon the nation
00:46:11because of their
00:46:12sins.
00:46:12He declared
00:46:14that in all
00:46:15human history
00:46:16there never had
00:46:17been such a
00:46:18severe punishment
00:46:19as was visited
00:46:20upon Jerusalem,
00:46:21which indicated
00:46:22the enormity
00:46:23of their sins
00:46:24against God.
00:46:27And like I said,
00:46:28we already mentioned
00:46:29the curses for
00:46:31disobedience in
00:46:32Deuteronomy.
00:46:33But now the
00:46:34prophet came right
00:46:35out.
00:46:36And what's he do?
00:46:38He connected
00:46:39what he saw
00:46:40and heard in the
00:46:41vision of Daniel
00:46:42chapter 8,
00:46:42regarding the
00:46:45curses there
00:46:46with his prayer
00:46:47in chapter 9.
00:46:48He brought it
00:46:49together.
00:46:49There's another
00:46:50link, by the
00:46:50way, between
00:46:51those chapters.
00:46:52He believed
00:46:53that the king
00:46:54of fierce
00:46:54countenance
00:46:54and understanding
00:46:55dark senses
00:46:56was the curse
00:46:58being poured
00:46:58upon the
00:46:59Jewish nation
00:47:00for their
00:47:00disobedience.
00:47:03And so his
00:47:03study of
00:47:04Jeremiah's
00:47:04prophecy
00:47:05suggested he
00:47:06believed God
00:47:06lengthened
00:47:07their time
00:47:07in captivity
00:47:09by an
00:47:10unfathomably
00:47:11longer period
00:47:13of time,
00:47:132,300 years.
00:47:17And the
00:47:18Lord has
00:47:19to be
00:47:19incredibly
00:47:21upset and
00:47:22angry at
00:47:23us.
00:47:24Why doesn't
00:47:24he just
00:47:24wipe us
00:47:25out?
00:47:26Why prolong
00:47:27the 2,300
00:47:27years?
00:47:28We'll get to
00:47:28that in the
00:47:28next study.
00:47:29But in
00:47:33this prayer
00:47:33he calls
00:47:34on the
00:47:34mercy of
00:47:35God to
00:47:35remember his
00:47:36promise to
00:47:36his people
00:47:37in Jeremiah
00:47:3725, where
00:47:39he promised
00:47:40only 70
00:47:40years of
00:47:41captivity.
00:47:43In
00:47:43verses 11
00:47:46through 14,
00:47:46Daniel continued
00:47:47to acknowledge
00:47:48how God's
00:47:48professed people
00:47:49wickedly turned
00:47:50away from
00:47:52him, and
00:47:52they were
00:47:53therefore being
00:47:53punished.
00:47:55In verse
00:47:5514 he said
00:47:57that God was
00:47:57righteous in
00:47:58all his
00:47:58works because
00:47:59Israel did
00:48:00not obey
00:48:00his voice.
00:48:03And
00:48:03scripture teaches
00:48:04that God
00:48:04punishes evil,
00:48:05right?
00:48:07And so he
00:48:08simply doesn't
00:48:09allow evil to
00:48:10self-destruct.
00:48:14And so at
00:48:14times he takes
00:48:15an active role
00:48:16in punishing
00:48:16sin.
00:48:17And Daniel
00:48:18acknowledged his
00:48:19mercy and
00:48:19righteousness in
00:48:20doing this.
00:48:23God is
00:48:23faithful in his
00:48:24promises and
00:48:24warnings, but
00:48:26he's not going
00:48:26to bear forever
00:48:27with evil,
00:48:28friends.
00:48:29I want to
00:48:30read something
00:48:31to you.
00:48:31It's from
00:48:31the book
00:48:31Daniel and
00:48:32the Revelation
00:48:32from Uriah
00:48:34Smith.
00:48:35This is on
00:48:35page 195.
00:48:38Notice what
00:48:39Smith says.
00:48:40He says,
00:48:40quote,
00:48:40To this point
00:48:41Daniel's prayer
00:48:42is employed
00:48:43in making a
00:48:44full and
00:48:44heartbroken
00:48:45confession of
00:48:45sin.
00:48:46He vindicates
00:48:47fully the
00:48:48course of the
00:48:48Lord,
00:48:49acknowledging the
00:48:50sins of his
00:48:51people to be
00:48:51the cause of
00:48:52all their
00:48:53calamities,
00:48:55as God
00:48:55hath threatened
00:48:56them by the
00:48:56prophet Moses.
00:48:58He does
00:49:00not discriminate
00:49:01in favor of
00:49:01himself.
00:49:03No self-righteousness
00:49:04appears in his
00:49:05petition.
00:49:06Although he had
00:49:07suffered long for
00:49:07other sins,
00:49:09enduring 70 years
00:49:10of captivity for
00:49:11the wrongs of
00:49:12his people,
00:49:13he lived a
00:49:13godly life and
00:49:14received signal
00:49:15honors and
00:49:16blessings from
00:49:16the Lord.
00:49:18He brings no
00:49:18accusations against
00:49:20anyone,
00:49:21pleads no sympathy
00:49:22for himself as a
00:49:23victim of others'
00:49:24wrongs,
00:49:24but classes
00:49:26himself with
00:49:26the rest,
00:49:27saying,
00:49:28We have
00:49:29sinned,
00:49:29and unto us
00:49:31belongs confusion
00:49:32of face.
00:49:34He acknowledges
00:49:35that they had
00:49:36not heeded the
00:49:37lessons God
00:49:38designed to
00:49:39teach them by
00:49:40their afflictions.
00:49:44And that's
00:49:44what Daniels
00:49:45did.
00:49:45This was the
00:49:46character of
00:49:47Daniel.
00:49:47Dare to be a
00:49:54Daniel.
00:49:54I always had
00:49:56that hymn pop
00:49:56up in my
00:49:57mind.
00:49:58Dare to be a
00:49:58Daniel.
00:50:01Daniel 9,
00:50:02verse 15.
00:50:05And now,
00:50:06O Lord our
00:50:06God,
00:50:07that hast
00:50:08brought Thy
00:50:08people forth
00:50:09out of the
00:50:09land of Egypt
00:50:10with a mighty
00:50:11hand,
00:50:12and hast
00:50:12gotten Thee
00:50:13renowned,
00:50:14as at this
00:50:15day,
00:50:16we have
00:50:16sinned,
00:50:17and we
00:50:18have done
00:50:19wickedly.
00:50:22O Lord,
00:50:23according to
00:50:23all Thy
00:50:24righteousness,
00:50:25I beseech
00:50:26Thee,
00:50:26let Thine
00:50:27anger and
00:50:27Thy fury
00:50:28be turned
00:50:28away from
00:50:29Thy city
00:50:30Jerusalem and
00:50:31Thy holy
00:50:31mountain,
00:50:32because for
00:50:33our sins
00:50:34and for
00:50:34the iniquities
00:50:35of our
00:50:35fathers,
00:50:36Jerusalem
00:50:37and Thy
00:50:37people are
00:50:38become a
00:50:38reproach to
00:50:39all that
00:50:40are about
00:50:41us.
00:50:43A reproach
00:50:44to all.
00:50:45what's
00:50:47Daniel
00:50:47doing
00:50:48here?
00:50:50Daniel
00:50:50cites
00:50:51the
00:50:53former
00:50:54great
00:50:55deliverance
00:50:56of the
00:50:56children
00:50:56of Israel
00:50:57from
00:50:57Egyptian
00:50:57bondage,
00:50:58doesn't he?
00:50:59He's going
00:51:00back in
00:51:01history,
00:51:01and so
00:51:02he goes
00:51:03back to
00:51:03that,
00:51:03he bases
00:51:04his petition
00:51:05upon that
00:51:05great act
00:51:06of mercy
00:51:06performed
00:51:07by the
00:51:07Lord
00:51:07at the
00:51:08time
00:51:08of the
00:51:09Exodus.
00:51:10Daniel
00:51:14does not
00:51:14present his
00:51:15plea on
00:51:15the ground
00:51:16of any
00:51:16goodness
00:51:16of his
00:51:17people,
00:51:17nor on
00:51:18any of
00:51:19his own
00:51:19goodness.
00:51:21Daniel
00:51:22thought,
00:51:23all our
00:51:24righteousnesses
00:51:25are as
00:51:25filthy
00:51:26rags.
00:51:28God
00:51:28is the
00:51:29only one
00:51:29righteous.
00:51:31This is
00:51:32what Daniel
00:51:33is
00:51:33pleading.
00:51:37And so
00:51:38he cites
00:51:38the Lord's
00:51:39gracious
00:51:39dealings
00:51:40with
00:51:40Israel
00:51:40in
00:51:40times
00:51:41past.
00:51:43In
00:51:44his
00:51:44pleading,
00:51:49you know,
00:51:49Israel should
00:51:49have been
00:51:50a light
00:51:50to all
00:51:50the world,
00:51:52much like
00:51:54the church
00:51:54today.
00:51:56But because
00:51:57of stubborn
00:51:57rebellion,
00:51:59Jerusalem
00:51:59and Israel
00:52:00were now
00:52:00a byword,
00:52:02a reproach
00:52:03among
00:52:03the
00:52:04nations
00:52:05of the
00:52:07earth.
00:52:09Notice
00:52:09what
00:52:10Bunch
00:52:10says in
00:52:11his book
00:52:11of Daniel,
00:52:12page 129.
00:52:13He says,
00:52:14quote,
00:52:14Daniel confesses
00:52:16the sins
00:52:16of his
00:52:16people,
00:52:18both public
00:52:18and private,
00:52:19national and
00:52:20individual.
00:52:21Every form
00:52:22of sin
00:52:23that he
00:52:23could enumerate
00:52:24of which
00:52:24the Jews
00:52:25were guilty,
00:52:26Daniel
00:52:26confessed
00:52:27with genuine
00:52:27sorrow of
00:52:28heart.
00:52:30His was
00:52:30a godly
00:52:31sorrow.
00:52:33Laying the
00:52:34axe at the
00:52:34root of
00:52:34pride,
00:52:35he completely
00:52:35emptied
00:52:36himself,
00:52:37regarded
00:52:37as his
00:52:38own,
00:52:39the sins
00:52:39of kings,
00:52:40judges,
00:52:41priests,
00:52:41and people.
00:52:43End quote.
00:52:45This is what
00:52:46Moses had
00:52:47done,
00:52:47right?
00:52:51Let's go to
00:52:52Daniel.
00:52:53Well,
00:52:53wait,
00:52:53let me read
00:52:53this.
00:52:54This is from
00:52:54The Sanctified
00:52:55Life,
00:52:55pages 47
00:52:56and 48.
00:52:57Notice
00:52:57this.
00:52:59Quote,
00:52:59The man
00:52:59of God
00:53:00was praying
00:53:00for the
00:53:01blessing of
00:53:01heaven upon
00:53:02his people
00:53:02and for a
00:53:03clearer
00:53:03knowledge of
00:53:04the divine
00:53:05will.
00:53:06We all
00:53:07should do
00:53:07that,
00:53:07right?
00:53:08The burden
00:53:09of his
00:53:09heart was
00:53:10for Israel,
00:53:11who were
00:53:11not in
00:53:12the strictest
00:53:13sense keeping
00:53:14the law
00:53:14of God.
00:53:16He
00:53:16acknowledges
00:53:17that all
00:53:17their misfortunes
00:53:18have come
00:53:19upon them
00:53:19in consequence
00:53:20of their
00:53:21transgressions
00:53:22of that
00:53:23holy law.
00:53:26He
00:53:26says,
00:53:27and then
00:53:27verses 15
00:53:29and 16
00:53:29are quoted
00:53:29in Daniel
00:53:319,
00:53:32the Jews
00:53:33had lost
00:53:33their
00:53:33peculiar
00:53:34holy
00:53:35character
00:53:36as God's
00:53:37chosen
00:53:38people.
00:53:39End quote.
00:53:40Friends,
00:53:41I'm going to
00:53:41tell you,
00:53:41this sounds
00:53:41a lot like
00:53:42the Adventist
00:53:42church today,
00:53:43doesn't it?
00:53:44They've lost
00:53:45their
00:53:45peculiar
00:53:46holy
00:53:47character.
00:53:52Daniel 9,
00:53:52verse 17,
00:53:53Now,
00:53:54therefore,
00:53:55our God,
00:53:57hear the
00:53:57prayer of
00:53:58thy servant
00:53:59and his
00:53:59supplications,
00:54:00and cause
00:54:01thy face to
00:54:02shine upon
00:54:03thy sanctuary
00:54:04that is
00:54:05desolate
00:54:05for the
00:54:06Lord's
00:54:07sake.
00:54:08And so
00:54:08when Daniel
00:54:09says,
00:54:11cause thy
00:54:12face to
00:54:12shine,
00:54:13he's basically
00:54:13saying,
00:54:14Lord,
00:54:15look with
00:54:15favor.
00:54:16Please,
00:54:17Lord,
00:54:18look with
00:54:18favor.
00:54:21Daniel's
00:54:22heart turns
00:54:22with intense
00:54:23longing to
00:54:25the desolate
00:54:25sanctuary of
00:54:26God.
00:54:28Because it
00:54:29reflects poorly
00:54:30upon God.
00:54:31They have
00:54:31done this.
00:54:33to their
00:54:33God.
00:54:37And Daniel
00:54:37asked God
00:54:38to hear his
00:54:38prayer.
00:54:39Not because
00:54:39of the
00:54:40righteousness
00:54:40of the
00:54:41Jewish
00:54:42people.
00:54:44No,
00:54:45but because
00:54:45of his
00:54:46great mercy.
00:54:48He knows
00:54:49that his
00:54:49prosperity
00:54:50can be
00:54:51restored only
00:54:51as Israel
00:54:52shall repent
00:54:53of their
00:54:53transgressions
00:54:54of God's
00:54:55law.
00:54:57They need
00:54:57to become
00:54:58humble
00:54:58and
00:54:59faithful
00:55:00and
00:55:02obedient.
00:55:04Verses
00:55:0518 and
00:55:0519,
00:55:06Daniel 9.
00:55:09Oh my
00:55:10God,
00:55:11incline
00:55:11thine
00:55:12ear.
00:55:12Lord,
00:55:13please listen.
00:55:14Incline
00:55:15thine
00:55:15ear and
00:55:15hear.
00:55:16Open
00:55:16thine
00:55:16eyes,
00:55:17and behold
00:55:18our
00:55:18desolations
00:55:19in the
00:55:20city which
00:55:21is called
00:55:21by thy
00:55:22name,
00:55:23he says.
00:55:24For we
00:55:25do not
00:55:25present our
00:55:26supplications
00:55:26before thee
00:55:27for our
00:55:27righteousnesses,
00:55:28no,
00:55:29they're filthy
00:55:29rags,
00:55:30Lord,
00:55:31but for
00:55:31thy
00:55:31great
00:55:32mercies.
00:55:33Oh Lord,
00:55:34hear.
00:55:35Oh Lord,
00:55:36forgive.
00:55:37Oh Lord,
00:55:38hearken and
00:55:38do.
00:55:40Defer not,
00:55:41there's that
00:55:41word again,
00:55:41defer,
00:55:42for thine
00:55:43own sake.
00:55:44Oh my
00:55:45God,
00:55:45for thy
00:55:46city and
00:55:47thy people
00:55:47are called
00:55:48by thy
00:55:49name.
00:55:52Called
00:55:52by thy
00:55:53name.
00:55:53And so
00:55:55the prophet
00:55:56now pleads
00:55:56the honor
00:55:57of the
00:55:57Lord's
00:55:57name as
00:55:58a reason
00:55:59why he
00:55:59desires his
00:56:00petition to
00:56:01be granted.
00:56:02He refers
00:56:02to the fact
00:56:03of the
00:56:03deliverance
00:56:04of Israel
00:56:04from Egypt
00:56:05and the
00:56:06great
00:56:06renown
00:56:07that had
00:56:07accrued
00:56:08to the
00:56:08Lord's
00:56:08name for
00:56:09all his
00:56:09wonderful
00:56:10works
00:56:11manifested
00:56:12among them.
00:56:13You know,
00:56:13the exodus
00:56:14and everything.
00:56:16All this
00:56:16would be
00:56:17lost,
00:56:17he's saying
00:56:17to the
00:56:18Lord,
00:56:18should he
00:56:19now abandon
00:56:19them to
00:56:20perish.
00:56:22And as I
00:56:23mentioned
00:56:23before,
00:56:24Moses,
00:56:25he basically
00:56:25used the
00:56:26same argument
00:56:27in pleading
00:56:27for Israel.
00:56:28Numbers
00:56:29chapter 14.
00:56:31Not that
00:56:31God's mood
00:56:32with motives
00:56:32of ambition
00:56:33and vainglory,
00:56:34I mean,
00:56:34don't get me
00:56:35wrong,
00:56:35but when his
00:56:36people are
00:56:37jealous for
00:56:37the honor
00:56:37of his
00:56:38name,
00:56:38when they
00:56:39demonstrate
00:56:39their love
00:56:40for him
00:56:40by pleading
00:56:41with him
00:56:41to work,
00:56:43not for their
00:56:43own personal
00:56:44benefit,
00:56:44but for his
00:56:45own glory,
00:56:46that his
00:56:47name may not
00:56:47be reproached
00:56:48and blasphemed
00:56:49among the
00:56:49heathen,
00:56:50God is
00:56:51very
00:56:52acceptable
00:56:52with him.
00:56:54But I want
00:56:55you to notice
00:56:55the similarities
00:56:56between Daniel
00:56:56here and
00:56:57Moses,
00:56:59and we read
00:57:00Numbers 14.
00:57:00Let's go to
00:57:01Numbers 14.
00:57:04Begin with
00:57:04verse 11.
00:57:06And the
00:57:07Lord said unto
00:57:08Moses,
00:57:08How long
00:57:08will this
00:57:09people provoke
00:57:09me?
00:57:10Remember what
00:57:10Daniel said?
00:57:11Did they provoke
00:57:12me?
00:57:13How long
00:57:13will this
00:57:14people provoke
00:57:14me?
00:57:15And how
00:57:15long will it
00:57:18be ere they
00:57:19believe me?
00:57:19For all the
00:57:20sins which I
00:57:21have showed
00:57:21among them,
00:57:23I will smite
00:57:24them with
00:57:24the pestilence
00:57:25and disinherit
00:57:26them,
00:57:27and will make
00:57:29of thee a
00:57:29greater nation
00:57:30and mightier
00:57:31than they.
00:57:32And Moses
00:57:33said unto
00:57:34the Lord,
00:57:35Then the
00:57:35Egyptians
00:57:36shall hear
00:57:36it,
00:57:37for thou
00:57:38broughtest
00:57:38up this
00:57:38people in
00:57:39thy might
00:57:39from among
00:57:40them,
00:57:41and they
00:57:41will tell
00:57:42it to the
00:57:42inhabitants
00:57:43of this
00:57:43land,
00:57:44for they
00:57:44have heard
00:57:44that thou
00:57:45Lord art
00:57:46among this
00:57:46people,
00:57:47and thou
00:57:47Lord art
00:57:48seen face
00:57:49to face,
00:57:50and that
00:57:50thy cloud
00:57:50standeth
00:57:51over them,
00:57:51and that
00:57:52thou goest
00:57:52before them
00:57:53by daytime
00:57:54in a
00:57:54pillar of
00:57:54cloud,
00:57:55and in
00:57:55a pillar
00:57:55of fire
00:57:56by night.
00:57:58Now,
00:57:59if thou
00:57:59shalt kill
00:57:59all this
00:58:00people as
00:58:01one man,
00:58:02then the
00:58:03nations which
00:58:03have heard
00:58:04the fame
00:58:04of thee
00:58:05will speak,
00:58:05saying,
00:58:06Because the
00:58:06Lord was
00:58:06not able to
00:58:07bring this
00:58:08people into
00:58:08the land
00:58:09which he
00:58:09swore unto
00:58:09them,
00:58:10therefore he
00:58:11hath slain
00:58:11them in
00:58:12the wilderness.
00:58:14And now
00:58:15I beseech
00:58:15thee,
00:58:16let the
00:58:16power of
00:58:17my Lord
00:58:17be great
00:58:18according as
00:58:19thou hast
00:58:19spoken,
00:58:20saying,
00:58:21The Lord is
00:58:21long-suffering
00:58:22and of
00:58:23great mercy,
00:58:24forgiving iniquity
00:58:25and transgression,
00:58:26and by no
00:58:27means clearing
00:58:27the guilty,
00:58:29visiting the
00:58:30iniquity of the
00:58:30fathers upon the
00:58:31children unto the
00:58:32third and fourth
00:58:32generation.
00:58:34And notice
00:58:35verse 19,
00:58:35he says,
00:58:36Pardon,
00:58:38I beseech thee,
00:58:39the iniquity of
00:58:40this people
00:58:40according unto
00:58:41the greatness
00:58:42of thy mercy,
00:58:44and as thou
00:58:45hast forgiven
00:58:46this people
00:58:46from Egypt
00:58:48even until
00:58:49now.
00:58:51See the
00:58:52similarities
00:58:53there?
00:58:55In Daniel's
00:58:56prayer,
00:58:56Daniel 9,
00:58:57and here,
00:58:59with Moses
00:59:00in Numbers
00:59:0214,
00:59:02you know,
00:59:05throughout their
00:59:06history,
00:59:06the Jews have
00:59:07stressed their
00:59:07ancestral descent
00:59:09from Abraham,
00:59:10yet they
00:59:10consistently failed
00:59:12in the very
00:59:13thing for which
00:59:14he was honored
00:59:15of God.
00:59:16Right?
00:59:18You've seen it
00:59:19throughout their
00:59:20history.
00:59:21This is what I'm
00:59:21going to go
00:59:22through next time.
00:59:23This lack of
00:59:24faith is what
00:59:25kept them from
00:59:25entering into
00:59:26God's rest.
00:59:28And I think
00:59:29that God was
00:59:29testing Moses
00:59:30here,
00:59:31when he
00:59:31basically said,
00:59:32let me destroy
00:59:34him,
00:59:34Moses,
00:59:35and I'll
00:59:35start over
00:59:36with you.
00:59:38Moses would
00:59:39have become
00:59:40a second
00:59:40Abraham,
00:59:41and so,
00:59:42realize all
00:59:43that had been
00:59:43promised,
00:59:45you know,
00:59:45that had been
00:59:46promised to
00:59:46Abraham,
00:59:47Moses would
00:59:47have fulfilled,
00:59:48right?
00:59:49But Moses
00:59:50replies that the
00:59:51Egyptians are
00:59:51going to hear
00:59:52about what
00:59:53was done,
00:59:54much like
00:59:55Daniel,
00:59:56uses these
00:59:56words as an
00:59:57argument with
00:59:58God in his
00:59:59plea for
01:00:00Israel.
01:00:01Moses uses
01:00:02an argument
01:00:03based on
01:00:03the nature
01:00:04of God
01:00:04as revealed
01:00:05on Mount
01:00:05Sinai.
01:00:10Daniel
01:00:10intercedes
01:00:12for the
01:00:12city of
01:00:13Jerusalem,
01:00:14called by
01:00:14God's name
01:00:15and his
01:00:16holy mountain
01:00:17for which he
01:00:17has had
01:00:18such love.
01:00:21And he
01:00:21beseeches him
01:00:22for his
01:00:23mercy's sake
01:00:24to let his
01:00:25anger be
01:00:25turned away.
01:00:27Now,
01:00:28I told you
01:00:28there,
01:00:28I said again,
01:00:29we saw
01:00:30the word
01:00:30defer,
01:00:31right?
01:00:32The word
01:00:33deferred the
01:00:33climax of
01:00:34his prayer
01:00:34that has
01:00:35profound
01:00:36significance.
01:00:38It's the
01:00:38Hebrew
01:00:38akar.
01:00:39It's
01:00:39variously
01:00:40translated in
01:00:40the Old
01:00:41Testament.
01:00:42It can
01:00:42mean to
01:00:43loiter,
01:00:43to delay,
01:00:44to procrastinate,
01:00:46to hinder,
01:00:46to tarry,
01:00:47to slacken.
01:00:47I talked
01:00:48about it
01:00:48the last
01:00:48time we
01:00:48were together.
01:00:51So,
01:00:51Daniel feared
01:00:52that God
01:00:52would delay
01:00:53the release
01:00:53of Israel
01:00:54beyond the
01:00:5470 years,
01:00:56and so he
01:00:56poured out
01:00:56his heart
01:00:57in prayer
01:00:57appealing to
01:00:58God's
01:00:58covenant
01:00:59loyalty
01:00:59and
01:01:00faithfulness.
01:01:02Nothing
01:01:02else made
01:01:04sense to
01:01:05him.
01:01:07How could
01:01:07Jeremiah give
01:01:0870 years,
01:01:09and we're
01:01:09a couple
01:01:09years from
01:01:10that,
01:01:11Daniel's an
01:01:11old man
01:01:12now,
01:01:12looking forward
01:01:13to it.
01:01:14Babylon's
01:01:15been defeated.
01:01:17That's a
01:01:17huge sign.
01:01:19And then he
01:01:20gets a
01:01:20vision,
01:01:21Daniel 8,
01:01:22and he
01:01:22says 2,300
01:01:22years.
01:01:25What a
01:01:26shock to
01:01:26your system.
01:01:32But such
01:01:32a wonderful
01:01:33petition by
01:01:34Daniel,
01:01:34and we
01:01:34should take
01:01:35note of
01:01:35it.
01:01:37In fact,
01:01:38in his
01:01:39prayer,
01:01:39Daniel did
01:01:39at least
01:01:40seven things
01:01:40that deserve
01:01:41our attention.
01:01:42Let me
01:01:43give you
01:01:43seven things
01:01:44here.
01:01:45And we
01:01:45should pay
01:01:46attention to
01:01:46this.
01:01:47First,
01:01:48he trusted
01:01:49God had
01:01:50our best
01:01:50interest in
01:01:51mind.
01:01:52We need
01:01:52to come
01:01:53to realize
01:01:53that God
01:01:53loves us
01:01:54that much.
01:01:55Even if
01:01:55we get put
01:01:56into dire
01:01:57circumstances,
01:01:58God's in
01:01:59control.
01:01:59Let's be
01:02:00faithful.
01:02:01He has
01:02:01our best
01:02:02interest in
01:02:02mind.
01:02:03Second,
01:02:04he prayed
01:02:04very much
01:02:05in earnest.
01:02:06He prayed
01:02:06from his
01:02:07heart.
01:02:08Right?
01:02:09A third
01:02:10thing,
01:02:10he depended
01:02:10on God's
01:02:11righteousness
01:02:12and not
01:02:12his own.
01:02:15Over and
01:02:15over,
01:02:16you see where
01:02:16he mentions
01:02:17God is the
01:02:18only one
01:02:18that's
01:02:18righteous.
01:02:20Israel was
01:02:21not righteous.
01:02:22He wasn't
01:02:23righteous.
01:02:24He put
01:02:24himself in
01:02:25with his
01:02:25people.
01:02:28A fourth
01:02:28thing was
01:02:29that he
01:02:29used
01:02:29scripture
01:02:30while
01:02:30speaking
01:02:30to
01:02:31God.
01:02:33Not so
01:02:34much that
01:02:34God didn't
01:02:36know,
01:02:38but he's
01:02:38showing God
01:02:39that he
01:02:39did know.
01:02:40He had
01:02:40that relationship.
01:02:41He studied.
01:02:43Used
01:02:44scripture.
01:02:45Fifth,
01:02:46he confessed
01:02:46his own
01:02:47sins and
01:02:47the sins
01:02:48of his
01:02:48group.
01:02:49A sixth
01:02:49thing that
01:02:50he did,
01:02:51he sought
01:02:52the glory
01:02:52of God
01:02:53and of
01:02:53his
01:02:53sanctuary.
01:02:56And the
01:02:56seventh
01:02:57thing was
01:02:57that he
01:02:57claimed
01:02:58God's
01:02:58promises.
01:02:59And that's
01:02:59part of
01:03:00the
01:03:00scriptures
01:03:00as well.
01:03:03And so
01:03:03we clearly
01:03:05see that
01:03:05Daniel sought
01:03:06God with
01:03:08all his
01:03:08heart toward
01:03:08the end
01:03:09of the
01:03:0970 years
01:03:10imploring
01:03:12his goodness
01:03:13and mercy.
01:03:14Daniel
01:03:15reminded God
01:03:16that he
01:03:16really thought
01:03:16good thoughts
01:03:17toward the
01:03:18Jewish nation,
01:03:18not evil.
01:03:20Daniel claimed
01:03:21the promise
01:03:21that if he
01:03:22sought the
01:03:22Lord with
01:03:22all his
01:03:23heart,
01:03:23God would
01:03:24turn the
01:03:24captivity of
01:03:25the nation.
01:03:27Jeremiah 29
01:03:28verse 15,
01:03:30promising that
01:03:30God will
01:03:31raise up
01:03:31prophets in
01:03:32Babylon seems
01:03:33to have been
01:03:33fulfilled by
01:03:33Daniel himself.
01:03:35You know,
01:03:36Ezekiel was
01:03:37another prophet
01:03:37for the Jews
01:03:38during the
01:03:39Babylonian
01:03:40captivity.
01:03:42It's
01:03:43interesting that
01:03:43Daniel was
01:03:44praying an
01:03:45intercessory prayer
01:03:46on behalf of
01:03:47his nation
01:03:47based on the
01:03:49scriptural
01:03:50exhortation in
01:03:52Jeremiah 25
01:03:52and Jeremiah
01:03:5429.
01:03:56And as
01:03:56we'll see in
01:03:57Daniel 9
01:03:58verses 20
01:03:58to 27,
01:04:00God gave
01:04:01him a
01:04:01decisive answer
01:04:02to his
01:04:02prayer.
01:04:05But as
01:04:06God's people,
01:04:08friends,
01:04:08we must strive
01:04:09to reach the
01:04:10point where we
01:04:10can pray for
01:04:11our fellow
01:04:11brothers and
01:04:12sisters,
01:04:13just as
01:04:13Daniel was
01:04:14able to
01:04:14pray for
01:04:15his people
01:04:15here in
01:04:16chapter 9.
01:04:16if we
01:04:18were in
01:04:18the
01:04:19Israelite
01:04:19shoes,
01:04:21I mean,
01:04:21we might
01:04:21be bitter
01:04:22at those
01:04:22in the
01:04:22church
01:04:23whose
01:04:23backsliding
01:04:24and idolatry
01:04:25had resulted
01:04:26in us
01:04:27being in
01:04:27captivity
01:04:28rather than
01:04:29praying for
01:04:30them and
01:04:30asking for
01:04:31God's
01:04:31mercy.
01:04:32It seems
01:04:32too easy
01:04:33for us to
01:04:33point fingers,
01:04:34doesn't it,
01:04:35and dwell on
01:04:35the faults
01:04:36in our ranks
01:04:36than it is
01:04:37to get on
01:04:37our knees
01:04:38and plead
01:04:38for God's
01:04:38mercy on
01:04:39everyone's
01:04:39behalf.
01:04:42Daniel not
01:04:43only prayed
01:04:43for others,
01:04:45but of
01:04:47all people,
01:04:48he included
01:04:48himself in
01:04:49the blame.
01:04:51And so we
01:04:52should realize
01:04:52our condition
01:04:53and do the
01:04:55same.
01:04:57Let's be a
01:04:58Daniel in
01:04:58our sphere
01:04:59of influence.
01:05:01Let me
01:05:01close out
01:05:02with this.
01:05:042 Chronicles
01:05:057 and
01:05:05verse 14.
01:05:06I know
01:05:07you're probably
01:05:07pretty familiar
01:05:08with it.
01:05:10The Lord
01:05:10says,
01:05:10If my
01:05:11people,
01:05:12which are
01:05:13called by
01:05:13my name,
01:05:15shall humble
01:05:15themselves,
01:05:18and pray,
01:05:19and seek
01:05:19my face,
01:05:20and turn
01:05:21from their
01:05:21wicked ways,
01:05:22then will
01:05:23I hear
01:05:23from heaven,
01:05:24and will
01:05:25forgive their
01:05:26sin,
01:05:27and will
01:05:27heal their
01:05:29land.
01:05:31One last
01:05:32quote here.
01:05:32This is a
01:05:33Review and
01:05:33Herald article
01:05:35from February
01:05:369,
01:05:361897.
01:05:40That's a
01:05:40wonderful
01:05:41prayer of
01:05:41Daniel,
01:05:42an example
01:05:42to us.
01:05:43She says,
01:05:47quote,
01:05:47Our
01:05:48necessities
01:05:48are as
01:05:49urgent,
01:05:50our
01:05:50difficulties
01:05:51are as
01:05:52great,
01:05:52and we
01:05:53need to
01:05:53have the
01:05:54same
01:05:54intensity
01:05:55of purpose,
01:05:56and in
01:05:56faith roll
01:05:57our burden
01:05:58upon the
01:05:58great
01:05:59burden
01:05:59bearer.
01:06:00She's
01:06:00talking about
01:06:00Daniel.
01:06:01There is
01:06:02need for
01:06:03hearts to
01:06:03be as
01:06:04deeply
01:06:04moved in
01:06:05our time
01:06:05as in
01:06:06the time
01:06:07when
01:06:08Daniel
01:06:08prayed.
01:06:09I can
01:06:12say to
01:06:13that
01:06:14amen
01:06:14and
01:06:16amen.
01:06:19And so
01:06:19what a
01:06:20wonderful
01:06:20example
01:06:21and why
01:06:22Daniel came
01:06:23to
01:06:25seek the
01:06:26Lord.
01:06:30It's like
01:06:31your boss
01:06:31that says
01:06:32my door is
01:06:32always open.
01:06:34Daniel came
01:06:34to the
01:06:35Lord for
01:06:36a great
01:06:37many reasons,
01:06:38but he
01:06:38thought the
01:06:40biggest reasons
01:06:41that God's
01:06:41adding 2,300
01:06:42years,
01:06:43extending the
01:06:4470 years,
01:06:45is because of
01:06:46our sins.
01:06:48And what a
01:06:49beautiful prayer.
01:06:51He prays for
01:06:52his own
01:06:52people.
01:06:53He recognizes
01:06:53himself as
01:06:54being among
01:06:55them, and
01:06:56we should do
01:06:56the same.
01:06:57In fact, as
01:06:57we've been
01:06:58counseled here,
01:06:59we need to
01:07:00pray for one
01:07:00another, don't
01:07:01we, friends?
01:07:02With such
01:07:03earnestness.
01:07:03So we
01:07:04live in
01:07:06the time of
01:07:06the end.
01:07:07Let's bow
01:07:08our heads.
01:07:08Father in
01:07:08heaven, we
01:07:09do thank
01:07:09thee for
01:07:09this opportunity
01:07:10to come
01:07:11together and
01:07:11study.
01:07:13What a
01:07:13wonderful
01:07:13prayer Daniel
01:07:14prayed to
01:07:17thee.
01:07:18And
01:07:19Father, I
01:07:20pray, and
01:07:21many of us
01:07:22pray, as
01:07:23Daniel did,
01:07:24from our
01:07:24hearts for
01:07:27the sins of
01:07:27your people
01:07:28in this
01:07:28time.
01:07:30That we
01:07:30failed in
01:07:31giving the
01:07:31three angels
01:07:32messages that
01:07:33they will
01:07:33be given by
01:07:35someone, and
01:07:36we pray that
01:07:37it may be
01:07:37us.
01:07:37Forgive us
01:07:38our sins.
01:07:39Help us,
01:07:40Lord, to be
01:07:41overcomers and
01:07:42bring glory to
01:07:43thy name among
01:07:45the nations.
01:07:48And may we
01:07:48be found
01:07:49faithful in
01:07:50doing thy
01:07:50work, and
01:07:53see Jesus
01:07:53when he
01:07:53comes.
01:07:54I pray this
01:07:54in his
01:07:55blessed name,
01:07:55for he's so
01:07:56worthy.
01:07:57Amen and
01:07:58amen.
01:07:58I want to
01:07:59thank you for
01:07:59joining me.
01:08:01I want to
01:08:01encourage you to
01:08:02study, study,
01:08:03study.
01:08:04We do live in
01:08:05the time of
01:08:05the end.
01:08:07Get into
01:08:07Daniel.
01:08:08Well, when we
01:08:08come back, we're
01:08:09going to get
01:08:09into the
01:08:11timeline of
01:08:12prophecy here.
01:08:14What the
01:08:152300 days all
01:08:16encapsulates.
01:08:17Oh, it's going
01:08:18to get more and
01:08:19more exciting.
01:08:21The prophecy just
01:08:22excites me, I
01:08:23guess.
01:08:23I don't know, but
01:08:23I hope it does
01:08:24you too, because
01:08:25you can see it.
01:08:26You can see it
01:08:27being fulfilled.
01:08:29And it just
01:08:29lets you know
01:08:30the kingdom of
01:08:31God is at
01:08:31hand.
01:08:33Jesus is
01:08:33coming soon.
01:08:35Let's meet
01:08:36him, right?
01:08:37Let's meet
01:08:37him in faith.
01:08:39And keep
01:08:39looking up.
01:08:40Never doubt
01:08:41his love for
01:08:41you.
01:08:42Never do it.
01:08:43Don't let the
01:08:43devil put a
01:08:44wedge between
01:08:45you and
01:08:45Jesus.
01:08:46Keep looking
01:08:47up.
01:08:49Never doubt
01:08:49his love.
01:08:50And we'll see
01:08:50you next time
01:08:51we get together.
01:08:52God bless you
01:08:52and take care.