Author: Jim

FOUR BEASTS (This occurred BEFORE DANIEL 4)
7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: …
Compare Ezekiel 1:10-14 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
7:3 He dreams of 4 beasts …
Compare Revelation 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
7:4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings:
7:5 A second, like to a bear,
7:6 Lo another, like a leopard,
7:7 A fourth beast, dreadful and terrible,
7:8-16 The description of the forth continues …
Compare Ezekiel 1:15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
Compare Revelation 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;,
Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
7:17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
7:18 But the saints of the most High (the Jewish nation)
Compare Isaiah 60:12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
7:19-21 the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others,
7:22 Until the Ancient of days came, (Second coming of Christ)
Compare Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7:23-25 TRIBULATION
Compare Revelation 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
7:26-27 The Millenium
7:28 … As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

Continue Daniel 8 The Ram and the Goat

THE LION’S DEN
6:1-3 DARIUS is king of Babylon, Daniel is No. 1 of three presidents;
6:4-9 DECREE that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
6:10-15 DETERMINATION Decree or not, Daniel continues to worship God. That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
Compare Jonah 2:1-4 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
6:16-18 DEN OF LIONS The punishment … Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions.
6:19-22 DELIVERENCE My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
REMEMBER Daniel 3, Shadrack, Meshack and Abenego – The Fiery Furnace?
Acts 2 Peter slept in Prison, lead out by an angel?
Acts 16 Paul and Barnabas sang in Prison?
Acts 27 Paul was calm in the Storm on the Ship?
Romans 8:31-33 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
6:23-28 DECREE The king was glad Daniel alive. The king punished the accusers.
Then he issued a nation wide decree.
Compare 1 Chronicles 5:20 And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him.
Compare Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
God delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Compare Ezra 1:1-2 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
LESSONS TO LEARN …
Be faithful to God, Others are watching …
Little Lies can lead to BIG trouble …
Pride is a trap …
We are to obey the word of God, ALL the time …
Evil deeds (sin) will be punished …

Continue Daniel 7 Four Beasts

Belshazzar’s Banquet    
    Belshazzar is the king of Babylon.  The Medes had surrounded the city and all the country had fallen but the city was virtually impregnable. Belshazzar, in defiance threw a riotous Banquet … to should he had no fear.
            Compare Esther 1:3 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:
   As the party progressed, the wine flowed, immorality was in order as the women were brought in and then the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem. He and his drunken co-horts used these dedicated vessels for praising their gods.
            Compare 2 Chronicles 36:10And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.    Then, when all is going well, A HAND STARTED TO WRITE ON THE WALL! …Just a hand, no body attached.
It wrote 4 words “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN”! 
      FEAR struck the heart of Belshazzar, the evil king.
His knees knocked so bad, they thought someone was at the door.
5:6-10 Finally, in fear, the king called for his wise mem. But even with the promise of reward, third highest in the kingdom, these men could not read or interpret the message. Terror struck their hearts … Fear ripped their souls!
5:11-17 And then Daniel is called for. With the same rewards promised the King pleaded with Daniel.
5:18-23 Daniel replied “Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation”.
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN is Numbered, Numbered, Weighted, Divided!
5:24-28 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
5:29-31 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
As we read the story, we are aghast at the king. The nerve of him, using God’s golden vessels for his riotous party. BUT how many are guilty of the same thing?
The world is besieged by Satan, the devil. And we are having a banquet!
Those around us are dying, going to hell, and we are using God’s vessel for our own pleasure.
God’s Vessels? … Yes, our bodies!
Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; …
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1 Corinthians 7:23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
1 Peter 1:19-20 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Believers who drink, dance, attend evil movies, worry, gossip, speak filthiness, foolishness, covet, are hateful, serving our own lusts etc. …
Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Romans 3:10-18 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: …
2 Timothy 3:2-7 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, …
The handwriting is on the wall (actually in the Scripture)!
Our days are numbered! Our actions are weighted and we are found wanting.
Romans 2:1-6 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Before we think too harshly about Belshazzar’s Banquet …
How’s yours going?

Continue Daniel 6 Lions den

A very familiar Sunday School Story. In this chapter we see:
Pride, Idol Worship, Jealousy, Anti-Semitism, Anger, Hate.
Daniel 3:1-7 PRIDE – 18-23 years have passed since Chapter 2. Old Neb’s forgotten about God, Daniel’s God.
Proverbs 11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: …
Proverbs 13:10 Only by pride cometh contention: …
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 17:19 He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.
Proverbs 21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin
Proverbs 29:23 A man’s pride shall bring him low: …
Old Neb was a great man. God had revealed the future to him and thru him … BUT Pride was a problem.
Proverbs 27:2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Compare Isaiah 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
Daniel 3:5-7 Idol Worship — When does a man begin to worship Idols?
When he becomes a Fool … How does he become a Fool?
Romans 1:21-23 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Remember the 10 Commandments .. Look at just the first 3:
Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exodus 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; …
Compare Revelation 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Daniel 3:8-11 Jealousy — The strongest of all mental sins … makes monsters out of men.
Proverbs 6:34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: …
Proverbs 14:30 … but envy the rottenness of the bones.
Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
Song of Solomon 8:6 … jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.
Jealousy Crucified Christ Matthew 27:18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
Jealousy kept the Jews from salvation Acts 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, Acts 17:5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, …
Jealousy produced false doctrine 1 Timothy 6:4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
Jealousy destroys love, removes happiness

Continue Daniel 3 Part 2

Daniel 3:12 Anti-Semitism began with the call of Abram and continues today. It is a tool of Satan.
Daniel 3:13-18 Anger — Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Compare Exodus 5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
Daniel 3:19-23 Hate — Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
Then we see: Faith and Divine Deliverance
Daniel 3:16-18 Faith … If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. …
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Daniel 3:19-23
Compare Exodus 12:33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.
Daniel 3:24-30 Divine Deliverance … Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. …
Compare Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Compare Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
CONCLUSION: PSALM 1:1-10
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

Continue Daniel 4 Dream of a TREE