A HUGE POPULATION OF BELIEVERS & TEACHERS HOLD THE BOOK OF DANIEL UP AS COMPLETE FICTION AND SYMBOLIC STORIES THAT COULD NEVER HAVE BEEN HISTORICAL TRUTH. WHY? BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GRASP THE SUPERNATURAL REALITY OF HOW YAHUSHA OPERATES WITH HIS PEOPLE (HIS HAND ON THEM!) MANY OF THE PASSAGES IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL CONCERN PROPHECY BUT ALSO GREAT WISDOM. THEREFORE IT IS DESIGNED NOT TO SIMPLY TELL US ABOUT THE FUTURE, BUT TO TEACH US HOW TO LIVE IN THE MIDST OF A PAGAN HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT. WE ARE SURROUNDED BY THE IDOLATROUS MAZZAROTH SYSTEM, AND THERE ARE POLICIES IN PLACE ALL AROUND US THAT ARE SOMEWHAT AGAINST YAHUSHA'S WORD, AND WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH DAILY ISSUES IN A VERY PRACTICAL WAY ... FOR YAHUSHA WANTS US TO HONOR HIM THROUGH OUR BEHAVIOUR.
D A N I E L . 3
1King Nebuchadnezzar had an image (STATUE) of gold made that was around 30m high and 3m wide, on the plain of Dura (in the province of Babylon). 2Then he called the Governors, Advisors, Leaders, Treasurers, Judges, Rulers and all the other officials in his Kingdom to come together. (60 x 6 CUBITS - MAN)
He wanted all of them to come to the dedication ceremony for this massive statue. 3So all the men came and stood in front of the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4Then the herald who makes announcements for the King spoke in a loud voice, “All you people from many nations and languages, listen to me. This is what you're commanded to do:
5You must bow down as soon as you hear the sound of all the musical instruments. When you hear the horns, flutes, lyres, sambucas, harps, bagpipes, and all the other musical instruments, you must worship the gold image ...
(LIKE A NATIONAL ANTHEM).
The King has set this image up. 6So whoever does not bow down and worship this gold image be thrown into a very hot furnace immediately!”
INTERESTINGLY MOSES COMPARED YISHARAL'S EGYPTIAN SLAVERY TO AN IRON FURNACE!
THIS IS ALSO A SHADOW OF REVELATION, WHERE JOHN SAYS THAT IN THE LAST DAYS ALL PEOPLE (BOTH RICH & POOR, SLAVE AND FREE) WILL BE FORCED TO BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP THE 'IMAGE OF THE BEAST' - AN ACCEPTED AND KNOWN BEHAVIOUR OF BRAZEN IDOLATRY AGAINST YAHUSHA! (NOT JUST A STATUE!)
7So as soon as they heard the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, sambucas, bagpipes, and all the other musical instruments, all the peoples, from different nations and languages bowed down and worshiped the gold image.
DANIEL CLEARLY WANTS US TO SEE A CLOSE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE KING'S DREAM AND THE STATUE WHICH HE ERECTED HERE. WAS THIS AN INNOCENT RESPONSE TO THE MEANING OF HIS 'EMPIRES' DREAM? NOT LIKELY!
IT’S PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT HIS MOTIVATION WAS FROM NIMROD AND NEO-BABYLONIA, FOR HE WASN'T IGNORANT OF NIMROD'S ATTEMPT TO BUILD A TOWER TO THE HEAVEN, AND KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR WAS NOW WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF NIMROD BY SETTING UP HIS OWN AUTHORITY, DRAWING HIS OWN BLUEPRINTS FOR A WORLD-WIDE KINGDOM THAT SHOULD NEVER CRUMBLE AND FALL. THIS WAS HIS INSANELY EGOTISTICAL REACTION TO DANIEL'S MEANING OF HIS DREAM. THE STATUE MAY HAVE BEEN A LIKENESS OF THE KING OR A BABYLONIAN DEITY - OR MAYBE IT WAS AN ASTRONOMICAL BODY OR JUST A GEOMETRIC SHAPE?
CRITICS SAY THAT THE MENTION OF THIS STATUE IS JUST MORE EVIDENCE THAT DANIEL IS PURE FANTASY, BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS THE STATUE SO ILLOGICALLY HUGE, BUT ITS PROPORTIONS ARE ALL WRONG, BEING AN `UNWORKABLE' 10 TO 1 RATIO. PERHAPS THEY NEED TO TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON D.C. AND VISIT THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT. IT IS 170M HIGH AND 17M WIDE AT ITS BASE: A 10 TO 1 RATIO.
REFUSING TO BOW DOWN IS TREASON AND THE PENALTY IS DEATH. BUT THE REALITY IS THAT IT WOULDN’T HAVE EVEN BOTHERED MOST OF THE MANY NATIONS AND PEOPLES WHO FORMED BABYLON, FOR THEY WERE NOT BEING ASKED TO GIVE UP OR REPLACE THEIR GODS, BUT JUST TO BOW DOWN TO YET ANOTHER ONE, AS A SUBJECT OF BABYLON. BUT FOR THE JEWS, IT WAS A GRAVE MATTER, FOR THEY WERE COMMANDED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ONLY THE ONE TRUE LIVING ALAHIM YAHUAH!
8Then some of the Chaldeans came up to the King and began speaking against the people from Judah, 9saying, “King, may you live forever! 10Great King, you gave a command saying that everyone who hears the sound of the music must bow down and worship the gold image. 11And you also said that whoever doesn't bow down and worship the image will be thrown into a very hot furnace ...
12Well there are some Judeans who you made important Officials in the province of Babylon that ignored your order, O’ King. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They don’t worship your gods and goddesses, and they refuse to bow down and worship the gold image you set up.” 13So Nebuchadnezzar became furious and called for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to come to him!
THE POWER-PLAY
THE ISSUE IS TRANSPARENT: THESE SNIVELLING CHALDEANS SNITCHES (NATIVE BABYLONIANS) DIDN’T LIKE A BUNCH OF OUTSIDER-JEWS HAVING THE HIGH GOVERNMENT POSITIONS THAT RIGHTFULLY BELONGED TO THEM. REMEMBER, THE KING HAD GIVEN THESE HIGH RANKING POSITIONS TO THESE 3 JEWISH MEN AS A RESULT OF DANIEL BEING ABLE TO INTERPRET HIS DREAM. NOT ONLY HAD THE JEWS HUMILIATED THESE CHALDEANS BY BEING ABLE TO KNOW THE KING’S DREAM WHEN THEY COULDN’T, BUT THEY WERE NOW THEIR BOSSES!
NEBUCHADNEZZAR WELL KNEW (AS DID EVERYONE IN BABYLON - ESPECIALLY IN THE CAPITAL CITY) THAT THE JEWS HAD ONE ALAHIM ONLY, AND THEY WEREN’T PERMITTED TO WORSHIP OTHER DEITIES. SO THIS INCIDENT WAS JUST THE OPPORTUNITY THE CHALDEANS NEEDED TO END THEIR SHAME BY GETTING RID OF THESE 3 JEWISH OFFICIALS.
14So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were brought to King Nebuchadnezzar, who said to them, “Gentlemen, is it true that you don’t worship my deities and that you didn’t bow down and worship the gold image I’ve set up? 15Now when you hear the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, sambucas, harps, bagpipes, and all the other musical instruments, you WILL bow down and worship my gold idol dammit ...
If you’re ready to worship the image I’ve made … good! But if you don’t worship it, you will be taken immediately and thrown into the burning hot furnace. Then no deity will be able to deliver you from my hand then!” THIS IS ALL ABOUT
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS. THE KING HAS PUT THEM IN CHARGE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF HIS OWN CAPITAL CITY AND TO BE REBELS IN THIS MANNER MAKES THE KING LOOK VERY BAD! CAN’T THEY JUST PLAY THE GAME? WHAT HARM WOULD IT DO? JUST GO ALONG WITH IT AND EVERYBODY WILL LIVE, PROSPER AND BE HAPPY !?
16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the King, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to explain these things to you! 17If you throw us into the hot furnace, the Alahim we serve can deliver us. If He wants to, He can deliver us from your hand! 18But even if YAHUAH doesn’t deliver us, we want you to know, O’ King, that we flat-out refuse to serve your deities ... so NO!
... We WILL NOT bow down and worship the ridiculous gold image that you’ve set up!”
IF YOU SAY`NO!' TO THE BEAST'S BEHAVIOUR YOU'RE IN FOR FIRE!
THESE MEN UNDERSTAND THAT YAHUAH HAS CHOSEN NEBUCHADNEZZAR TO BE HIS SERVANT ON EARTH, AND HAS GIVEN HIM DOMINION OVER EVERY SPHERE: SEA, LAND AND AIR. SO IN ESSENCE THEY ARE SAYING: “WE REALLY DON’T HAVE A CHOICE IN THE MATTER, WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD IS TRUE, AND THERE’S NOT MUCH WE COULD SAY TO CHANGE YOUR MIND”. BUT THEN COMES THE HEART-SEARING PART WHERE THEY SAY THAT WHETHER YAHUAH DOES OR DOESN'T RESCUE THEM FROM A HORRIBLE PAINFUL DEATH, NONETHELESS THEY WILL NOT SERVE BABYLON’S DEITIES AND THEY WILL NOT LAY PROSTRATE BEFORE THE STATUE:
THE SYMBOL OF THE ONE-WORLD POWER THAT IS THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. SOLOMON SAID THIS:
ECCLESIASTES 12:13-14
HERE IS THE FINAL CONCLUSION, NOW THAT YOU HAVE HEARD EVERYTHING: FEAR YAHUAH, AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, FOR THIS IS WHAT BEING HUMAN IS ALL ABOUT. FOR YAHUAH WILL BRING TO JUDGMENT EVERYTHING WE DO, INCLUDING EVERY SECRET, WHETHER GOOD OR BAD.
SINCE SOLOMON WAS ADDRESSING HEBREWS, WHAT HE MEANT WAS: “THAT’S WHAT BEING A REDEEMED HUMAN IS ALL ABOUT”. AND THE 2ND COMMANDMENT IS TO ONLY WORSHIP YAHUAH ALAHIM AND NO OTHER.
AND SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO WERE WILLING TO DIE TO UPHOLD THIS FUNDAMENTAL COMMANDMENT. FANATICISM? NO! ... IT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE LOYALTY THAT IS EXPECTED OF YAHUSHA'S BRIDAL FELLOWSHIP!
19Then Nebuchadnezzar’s expression IMAGE changed. He `saw red’ and was filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave an order for the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than it usually was. 20Then he commanded some of the strongest warriors in his Army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and throw them into the raging hot furnace.
21So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound and thrown into the hot furnace. They were wearing their robes, pants, turbans, and other clothes FLAMAGE. 22The King was so angry when he gave the command, and the soldiers quickly pumped the furnace so hot, that the flames even killed the mighty warriors when they approached the fire to throw the three men in.
23So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell into the fire, bound up very tightly. TESTED RIGHT TO THE POINT OF ENTRY !
24As King Nebuchadnezzar watched this with great satisfaction, he suddenly jumped to his feet, freaked out of his mind! He was stunned at what he saw and asked his advisors, “Didn’t we only tie up three men, and throw them into the fire?” His advisors said, “We certainly did, O’ King.” 25“Well Look! I can see four men walking around in the fire. They’re not tied up and they’re not even burning. And the fourth man looks like the son of a deity.”
ALTERNATE TRANSLATION INCLUDING EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS STATE THAT THE KING HEARD THE MEN SINGING AND PRAISING YAHUAH IN THE FIRE!
WHO WAS THIS SUPERNATURAL BEING?
THE PRESERVATION OF SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO WITHIN THE FURNACE IS A LITERAL FULFILLMENT OF A PROMISE GIVEN BY ISAIAH ARE A SHADOW DIRECTLY FOR US HERE TODAY:
ISAIAH 43:1-4
"PEOPLE OF JACOB: YAHUAH WHO CREATED YOU AND FORMED YOU, O'YISHARAL SAYS THIS: “FEAR NOT, FOR I HAVE REDEEMED YOU - I HAVE CALLED YOU BY YOUR NAME - AND YOU ARE MINE. WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE WATERS, I'LL BE THERE WITH YOU - AND THROUGH THE RIVERS, THEY WON'T DROWN YOU. WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE FIRE, YOU WON'T BE BURNED, AND THE FLAME WON'T SCORCH YOU. FOR I AM YAHUAH YOUR ALAHIM, THE SET-APART ONE OF YISHARAL, YOUR DELIVERER!
MALACHI 3:6
"FOR I AM YAHUAH, AND I DO NOT CHANGE - THAT IS WHY YOU ARE NOT CONSUMED, O'SONS OF JACOB (YISHARAL)".
REMEMBER WHEN JOHN SEES A SEA OF GLASS LIKE CRYSTAL IN THE HEAVENLY TEMPLE? LATER HE SEES IT AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME MINGLED WITH FIRE, FOR ON IT STAND ALL THE MARTYRS - THOSE WHO HAVE HAD TO LOSE THEIR PHYSICAL LIVES FOR BEING A WITNESS OF YAHUSHA THROUGH THE AGES. AND LIKE THEM, EVEN IF YAHUSHA CHOOSES NOT TO DELIVER US ... STILL WE WILL NOT BOW DOWN TO THIS GLOBAL BEASYLY SYSTEM OF IDOLATRY! . . . NO!
DESPITE LAST DAY PRESSURE, YAHUSHA HAS US IN HIS HAND ALWAYS !
26Then Nebuchadnezzar went to the opening of the hot furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, come out now! Servants of the Most High Alahim, come here!” So the men came out of the fire. 27The Satraps, Prefects, Governors, and Royal Advisors crowded around them. They could see that the fire had not burned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Their bodies were not burned at all. Their hair was not burned, and their robes were not burned. They didn’t even smell as if they had been near fire. 28Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise the Alahim of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their Alahim has sent His Angel and delivered his servants from the fire! These three men trusted their Alahim and refused to obey my command ...
They were willing to give up their bodies and die instead of serving or worshiping any other deity. 29So I now make this law: Anyone from any nation or language who says anything against the Alahim of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be cut into pieces, and their house will be destroyed until it's a pile of dirt and ashes. No other deity can deliver His people like this Alahim can!”
30Then the King promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into higher positions in the province of Babylon.
THE GENTILE NEBUCHADNEZZAR PROFESSES BELIEF IN THE ALAHIM OF YISHARAL, BUT DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE FULLNESS OF JUST WHO THAT BEING IS, NOR HIS EXCLUSIVITY. NEBUCHADNEZZAR BELIEVED THAT YAHUAH EXISTED AND IS A GREAT ALAHIM, BUT RELATES TO HIM ONLY IN THE WORLDVIEW OF PAGANISM AND SECULAR HUMANISM (ONE OF MANY!)
IE RELIGION NOT RELATIONSHIP!
YAHUSHA IS A CONSUMING FIRE
COMING CLOSE IS HOT !
JAMES 2:19-20
"YOU BELIEVE THAT "YAHUAH IS ONE"? GOOD FOR YOU! BIG WOOP! THE DEMONS BELIEVE IT TOO, AND SHUDDER WITH FEAR AT THE THOUGHT! BUT, FOOLISH ONE, DON'T YOU KNOW THAT SUCH "BELIEF" WITHOUT ACTIVE BEHAVIOUR IS USELESS?
NEITHER NEBUCHADNEZZAR NOR MANY IMMERSED BELIEVERS HAVE A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF WHO YAHUSHA IS, AND THEY DON'T LET HIM HAVE THEIR WHOLE LIFE, OR ACKNOWLEDGE HIS SUPERNATURAL IN THEIR DAY.
WHY?
