Times of the Gentiles part three

Having thus described the awesome image that Nebuchadnezzar dreamed,Daniel proceeded to give the interpretation in verse 36-45(read).After the declaration of the interpretation (verse36),Daniel interprets the meaning of the head of gold(verses37-38)as being Nebuchadnezzar ,the head of the Babylonian Empire.It was with this empire that the times of the Gentiles began,when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the Solomonic Temple in 586 B.C.Thus Babylon was the first of the four Gentile empires to dominate Jerusalem .The two arms of silver united into the breast of silver represents the two nations of the Medes and the Persians who established the Medo-Persian Empire(verse 39a).The Medo-Persian Empire was followed by the Greek or Hellenistic Empire symbolized by the belly and two thighs of brass (verse39b)for the third territorily embraced both east and west.The two thighs may also represent Syria and Egypt which arose out of the Hellenistic Empire and controlled Jewish territory. The rest of the image represents the fourth Gentile empire (verses40-43).The fourth empire goes through several stages,three of which are presented in this text.First there is the united stage(verse40).But this united stage gives way to the two division stage(verse41) which still has the strength of iron.Eventually,however,the four Gentile empire gives way to a ten division stage as is seen in the ten toes(verses42-43)being composed of iron and clay.Part of this ten division stage will be strong and part will be brittle and weak.The Fourth Gentile empire is unique from all the previous ones.It totally subdues and crushes all that precedes it.It is the fourth Gentile empire that is particularly emphasized by the text dealing with the times of the Gentiles.However,the fifth empire,that will follow it,will not be Gentile but Jewish (verses 44-45).Two prominent symbols are used here,but they are consistent with their usage elsewhere.Whenever the word stone is used symbolically,it is always a symbol of the Second Person of the Trinity,God the Son,the Lord Jesus Christ,the Messiah of Israel .Whenever the word mountain is used symbolically , it is always a symbol of a king,kingdom,or throne.Thus,following the fourth Gentile empire,God will set up His own kingdom.The kingdom is set up during the ten division stage (verse44a),and this brings to an end the domination of the other kingdoms (verse44b).In the end the image of Gentile domination will be smashed at the second coming . Once Gentile domination is thus smashed by the stone,Christ,the kingdom of God is set up,and it is set up by this stone.To summarize the first passage dealing with the times of the Gentiles,this is a period of time when four Gentile empires will follow one another in sequence with the fourth empire going through several different stages.But eventually this will give way to God setting up His own Kingdom. God bless!!!

The times of Gentiles part 2

Daniel 2:31-45 The basic content of Nebuchadnezzar 's dream is in verses 31-35: Thou, O king , sawest,and,behold,a great image.This image,which was mighty,and whose brightness was excellent ,stood before thee;and the aspect thereof was terrible,as for this
image,it's head was of fine gold,it's breast and it's arms of silver,it's belly and it's thighs of brass,it's legs of iron,it's feet part of iron,and ,and part of clay,Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands ,which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay , and brake them in pieces,Then was the iron,the clay,the brass , the silver,and the gold,broken in pieces together,and became like the chaff of the summer threshing -floors, and the wind carried them away,so that no place was found for them;and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain,and filled the whole earth.After a general description of the awesomeness of the image (verse31), Daniel describes the composition of the image (verses32-33).The image is described as having a head of gold,the breast and arms composed of silver,the belly and thighs of brass,legs of iron ,culminating with the feet and toes of part iron and part clay.Two things should be noted concerning these metals:first ,they
increase in strength;but secondly,they decrease in value.The fulment will be in decrease of the character of authority and rule.Yet there will be an increase in strength.Then the image is destroyed by a stone,and the stone smites the image on its feet(verses34-35a).Then,with the image destroyed ,the stone becomes a great mountain that fills the entire earth(verse35b).we will pick up here next time,God Bless

The Times of the Gentiles

A definition of the times of the Gentiles can be gleaned from Luke 21:24: (And they shall fall by the edge of the sword,and shall be led captive into all the nations:and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles,until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.) The times of the Gentiles can best be defined as that long period of time from the Babylonian Empire to the second coming of Christ during which time the Gentiles have dominance over the city of Jerusalem.This does not rule out temporary Jewish control of the city,but all such Jewish control will be temporary until the second coming of Christ.Such temporary control was exercised during the Maccabbean period (164-63 B.C.),the first Jewish revolt against Rome(66-70 A.D.),the second Jewish revolt against Rome(132-135 A.D.),and since 1967 as a result of the Six Day War. This,too, is temporary as Gentiles will yet trod Jerusalem down for at least another 3 and a half years (Revelation 11:1-2).Any Jewish take-over of the city of Jerusalem before the second coming of Christ must,therefore,be viewed as a temporary one and does not mean that the times of the Gentiles have ended. The times of the Gentiles can only end when the Gentiles can no longer trod down the city of Jerusalem.To understand the course of the times of the Gentiles,four passages will Need to be studied and then combined.we will start here next time with Daniel 2:31-45. God Bless

Sufferings part two

We have the blessed promise that if we suffer with him we will reign with him.Thank God, the sufferings of this present day are insignificant compared to the glory we will share with Jesus!! Praise the living God I'm ready to see my Lord aren't you? The John to whom God gave the Revelation on the Isle of Patmos is the same beloved John to whom Jesus entrusted His mother on the day of His crucifixion .This is also the same John to whom God gave the marvelous salvation message (John 20:30,31).He is the same John to whom the Holy Spirit dictated the three epistles that bear his name-1,2,and 3rd John.This is the the John"whom Jesus loved"...... the John who laid his head on Jesus'breast at the last supper and asked,"Is it I,Lord?"He was a man just like you and me -but he was a man entirely yielded to the will of God,Oh saints if we could only get hold of this if we could be like our brother John how much better our lives would be oh saints how much better could we serve our God!!!!! Preaching to myself here (smile).Praise God for His mercy!!!.He served God with all of his heart and soul,with all of his strength.He was perfectly contented to suffer whatsoever he was called upon to suffer for the sake of the Word of God.He did not mention the trial,the condemnation,the parting with friends (if he had any friends.....I wonder if he had even one friend except Jesus),Can I get an AMen on that if you have ever felt like that.(smile).Not one word of reproach or complaint fell from the lips of John the Beloved.His arrest,trial,and the proceedings before his cruel exile,are passed over in complete silence,not even worthy to be mentioned by him.He simply says,"I was in the Isle called Patmos."What A Man Of God!!!!! God Bless

Three great periods of suffering

There are three great periods of determined suffering for God's people:1.The sufferings under pagan Rome.2.The persecution under papal Rome during the middle ages and the dark ages.3.The coming persecution under the power of the two Beast in Revelation 13-the Ecclesiastical Beast and the Political Beast.These Beast will be energized by the devil himself.It will be a time of such persecution as has not been known in the past,or at any time during man's stay upon this earth.The Jews will suffer most during the reign of the two Beast.John the beloved disciple was not schooled in the ability to trim the word of God to fit the times in which he lived.The modernists and liberals of today are trained in our preaching-manufacturing plants-known as schools of theology(smile).They are trained exactly how to preach a gospel that will suit the times and the people to whom they preach.But John preached the word without apology,and because of his true Gospel he was banished for his testimony and the Word of God which he preached.The Word of God declares,"if any man will live godly in Christ Jesus he shall suffer persecution "(11Tim.3:12).The only reason some of us are not exiled or thrown into prison is simply because we do not preach as fervently and as sternly as did Paul,John,Peter and others.This modern "Santa Claus " religion that is sweeping the country today is not the religion Jesus taught and John practiced.Jesus did not say,"Follow me and I will put a big automobile in your garage,money in your bank,and give you a host of friends and a flowery bed of ease!"Jesus said,"Follow me-and I will give you a cross to carry! I will let you walk beside me in my yoke.I will let you come after me and see where I live ....no place to lay my head.And if you are willing to carry the cross,you can be my disciple,but if you are not willing to carry the cross,you cannot be my disciple,you cannot share my crown.If you refuse to suffer with me,you cannot reign with me.If you put your hand to the plow and look back,you are not fit to be my disciple.If you deny me,I will deny you!" we will pick up here next week God Bless

"The Patmos Vision"

Read Rev.1:9-18: In verse 9 we learn that John was not a superhuman.He was a man just like you and me.John was our brother in the Lord.He was also our brother in persecution and in patience.He lived during the time of terrible persecution under Nero,and received the Revelation during his exile to Patmos for his testimony and for the Word of God.With the exception of John the Beloved,all of the disciples were martyred;but in God's providence John was exiled to the lonely island of Patmos because God had. Job for him to do.God's servant is indestructible ...he cannot be destroyed by the devil and all the forces of hell until God is finished with that servant here on earth.John was such a servant.He was faithful and true to the Lord God Almighty.The island to which he was banished was almost unknown in that day.It was extremely dreary and lonely.It lay in the Aegean Sea,just off the coast of Asia Minor.It is only fifteen miles in circumference,and today it is inhabited by a small settlement of Greeks.When the emperor banished John to the Isle of Patmos,he thought he had destroyed the old fanatical preacher;but God made the bitter wrath of the ungodly emperor to praise Him! Folks everyone and everything will praise The Living God!!!!! God will carry out His program,even if He must use an ungodly Herod,Pharaoh,Nero-or,in our da,a Putan of Russian to fulfil His plans.God does not compromise with the devil nor with sin,and many times God causes the devil's program to backfire and in the end bring honor and praise to God.Such was the case with John and his exile to Patmos.The devil slipped up in his plans when he caused the emperor to exile John to the lonely,barren island of Patmos .For John,his stay there knew no dull moments.Every minute was alive.Praise the Living God for Men Like John,God Bless!

A Divine Declaration

Rev.1:8: I am Alpha and Omega,the beginning and the ending,saith the Lord,which is, and which was,and which is to come,the Almighty. The announcement of these divine titles-"I am Alpha......Omega......Lord God.....the Almighty!"-is certainly a fitting conclusion to the introduction of The Revelation of Jesus Christ,Which God Gave Unto Him.God Himself is the speaker here....the great"I Am."He announces His own titles.The words "Alpha"and "Omega" refer to the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet.God is the source of all things...He is the beginning of all things.He is the beginning of all truth,all life,all creation.....He is the Alpha.But He is also the Omega-the end.God's glory is the ultimate goal of his program.Everything finds its answer in Jehovah God. God is eternal.He has always been(John4:23,24).Jesus is God in the flesh (2Cor.5:19;John1:1,14).God is one God,manifest in three persons-Father,Son,and Holy Ghost.The Trinity had always been.Jehovah God is an eternal Spirit. He was,He is,He is to come......He is the Almighty! In Him all things consist.Without Him nothing could continue,either in secular life or in heavenly life.Without Him the solar systems would cease to operate and the earth would fly from its orbit to dash through space into oblivion.God is the Alpha and the Omega.He is the Lord.....Which Is,which Was,which Is To Come!He is the Almighty!God Bless.