Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Daniel chapter 2

As the self-appointed pastor of the hamburger stand was losing his voice I was asked to step up and lead the Bible study. My friends and I had been through two years of tedium as the leader of the Monday morning Bible study guided us through his convoluted ideas about the Revelation and the Millenial reign; so when I asked them what they would like to have me cover, they strangely jumped at the idea of Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's statue.

What I am giving you are the notes that I put together in order to lead a Bible study on Daniel chapter two. I will tell you that we had a great time.

What I am giving you are the notes that I put together in order to lead a Bible study on Daniel chapter two but especially Nebuchadnezzar's statue. I will tell you that we had a great time.

Forgive the artwork but it made the point.

Nebuchadnezzar's statue. 

The head of fine gold; the first Kingdom
Daniel 2:38 You O' King are that head of Gold.



Breast and arms of silver; the second kingdom
Daniel 2:39 After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, (Medo-Persian)

Belly and thighs of brass; the third kingdom
Daniel 2:39 and still a third kingdom of bronze [Greece under Alexander the Great] which shall bear rule over all the earth.

Legs of iron; the fourth kingdom
Daniel 2:40 An unnamed kingdom, but becomes more clear when you pursue Daniel chapter 7.

Daniel 7:24-25 KJV And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and, he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25) And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

This descriptive personifies the false prophet. The ten kings and their kingdom comprise the Feet of iron and clay

I use the NASB. If I use another translation I will indicate so.

Daniel 2:31-38

• "The head of that statue was made of fine gold,
• its breast and its arms of silver,
• its belly and its thighs of bronze,
• its legs of iron,
• its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

Daniel 2:38 AMPC+ “...

• You [king of Babylon] are the head of gold.”

The direct inference is to Nebuchadnezzar.

The statue does not represent five kingdoms. I believe that it is apparent that this is not the case because the feet, though mixed, are still an aspect of the legs.

Daniel 2:39

• “After you (Nebuchadnezzar) there will arise another kingdom inferior to you,”

The Amplified Bible was kind enough to define this as the Medo-Persian empire.

• “then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth.”

Again this is spelled out in the Amplified Bible as the Grecian empire under Alexander.

This should evoke some questions.

Who came immediately after Nebuchadnezzar's reign?It was not Belshazzar, and he was not Nebuchadnezzar's his son.

Take the time to read Daniel chapter 4. It speaks of Nebuchadnezzar's seven-year loss of sanity and restoration. All this was meant to demonstrate that there was none other than God. Restored, It seems Nebuchadnezzar then quietly slips off into death. Chapter five then opens with Belshazzar, whom we assume to be the king's son, sitting on the throne. Chapter five verses 21-23 speak of God's admiration of Nebuchadnezzar, and then this, "Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven;”

Timeline from Nebuchadnezzar to Darius - Bible Timelines, Copyright © 2006 - Rick Swartzentrover

Overnight Belshazzar is stripped of power and killed; the kingdom was taken over by Cyrus, the Persian. 

Alright, let's get something straight here, there are others involved. 

• Armel Marduk, who reigned for 17 years came immediately after Nebuchadnezzar
• Nabonidus Belshazzar reigned for 17 years. The confusion we encounter comes from his reference to Nebuchadnezzar as a father. We come to understand that it was a term of respect for an elder, but Belshazzar was not his son. According to history, we learn that Belshazzar served as co-regent while Nebuchadnezzar was in another palace. By the time Cyrus and his troops were marching into Babylon Belshazzar, fully aware of the ominous news, decided to throw a huge party. And, just to make it over the top, while the party is going on, he orders the golden vessels taken from Israel to be brought in so that he and his guests could drink out of them. This was sure to make him look good.

What then is going on in Daniel 5:30-31 NASB

"That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. 31- So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two."

It appears that God just made an eighteen-year leap in time, with no open explanation. 

• Cambyses reigns after Cyrus for 9 years.

Daniel 6:28 is one of the pieces of evidence that ties Daniel to the reigns of Cyrus and Darius. However, it makes no mention of Armel Marduk or Cambyses.

Daniel 6:28 NASB So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Cyrus the Persian and in the reign of Darius the Mede.

For some reason God does not separate Darius and Cyrus, calling them merely Medes and Persians.

Daniel 2:40.

• (NET) Then there will be a fourth kingdom, one strong like iron. Just like iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything, and as iron breaks in pieces all of these metals, so it will break in pieces and crush the others.
  Unfortunately, the Amplified, like many commentators, attributes this to the Roman empire.

Allow me to point out some of the reasons why the fourth empire is not the Roman empire.

Daniel 7:23-26

"The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,"

Is there a distinction between the letter "a" and the word "the"?  Apparently, for in using an "a" God leaves the room for variability. In this case, four generals who served under Alexander who was eventually reduced to two.  How do we know that? Daniel chapter 11, a rather exacting history, spells out how the four will take power and eventually end with the reigns of Seleucid in the North (These were the Assyrian nations, also known as Syria, and included Asia Minor, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and South to the southern borders of what is now Israel)  and Ptolemy in South (Egypt and the Northern African Nations.)

These two kingdoms, though Grecian at the core, ruled independently. Cooperation was secured through marriage, espionage, murder, and intrigue; it was a way of life.

Chronologically, this was not the Roman empire.

Bible Timelines indicates the region involved in Nebuchadnezzar's rule was under the Persian Empire from 550-358BC.

The Grecian Empire lasted, through the Reigns of Seleucid and Pompey until 64BC and 43BC in Egypt.

In order to make this chronological, we have to bypass 28 Kings and 507 years.

Why does God ignore 28 kings? That is unknown to us. The best approach is to understand that God controls the clock and the timing of His prophetic actions.

Let's pause at Daniel 7:24 for a moment.

'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.

• Out of this kingdom (the fourth kingdom)

  We make the assumption that the kingdoms will hold to the core, and the scripture does not tell us that.

• ten kings will arise

  Again, we do not have the timing of when they arise, nor, do we have their “religious” affiliations.

• and another will rise after them,

  We are given a cryptic clue: “he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.”

  I believe we are seeing the overthrow of the three kings as we speak.

  Daniel's retelling of the dreams meaning does not end here. Look then at Daniel 7:25.

7:25 'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

Does this sound like anyone we know? The answer should be, yes.

Revelation 13:4-7 NASB they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" 5- There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. 6-  And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7- It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.

I desperately wanted to assign this beast to the false prophet, but I am not sure I can or should.

Revelation 13:11-14 NASB 11- Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. 12- He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13- He performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. 14- And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life.

If we are trying to make a logical connection to Rome, there is none with one exception Titus, the Emperor who ruled over Jerusalem during its destruction in 70 AD.

The so-called logical path here is Daniel 9:26 which tells us that, “the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.”

Because we attribute the destruction of Jerusalem to Rome, we make the assumption that this future prince is an aspect of Rome.

The problem here is that both Tacitus, the Roman historian, and Josephus, documented that the destruction of the Temple was the act of Assyrian conscript troops, under the Roman flag, who refused to cease from their actions when ordered by Titus. It is also known that Titus was under pressure to keep peace and saw no good coming to his reign because of the actions of the Assyrians.

There is one other reason why our assumptions about Rome are wrong. It is because, we, in the Western church, seem to think that this Bible we are reading is a book in tune with the Western culture. Oh sure, God has seen fit to make it work for all who believe, but never forget that the Bibles we carry are Jewish books, centered around a Jewish Messiah, and are exclusively Middle Eastern-centric. Trying to bend things and events to fit our Western culture will only confuse you more than you are.

which shall be different from all other kingdoms

What was the goal and purpose of all other kingdoms? Divide and conquer. But what did the Roman empire do? Establish a nonreligious legal system; build aqueducts, and promote trade and economy through road building. Not exactly a divide and conquer concept.

Revelation 13:3-4 NASB I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 4- they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?"

Note: While describing, almost to the letter, the beast of Revelation, this EMPIRE, sustains a mortal wound. Consider for a moment the allegory we are confronting. There are no beasts anywhere near this description, so the logical assumption should be that we are dealing with an entity or better yet multiple empires. Empires typically have solitary rulers (kings, monarchs, or emperors.) If they were ten in league with one another and one of the heads sustained a mortal wound, would the beast be killed? Not likely, as we would see someone else ready to take their place. Such is the case here. 

An example of such an event has already happened in the course of history, and it happened to the Ottoman Empire, an Islamic Caliphate, in the 1920's. The Caliphate was ransacking an area comparable to the Alexandrian Empire, and they seemed to rule the Mediterranean seas.They needed to be quelled and the British Empire effectively did just this by shutting down the Ottoman Empire.

How did the Islamic Empire come back to life? The Muslim Brotherhood never really died and raised its ugly head several times. The ultimate revival came with the Islamic revolution in 1979. In this, the Islamic Caliphate took control over Iran, once again.

• and shall devour the whole earth, tread it down, and break it in pieces and crush it.
  We like to use terms like, “the known world,” however, there was more to the world than just the Mediterranean, and yet, this was the primary sphere of influence of all these empires we consider. This so-called global concept applies to the Grecian empire, the Seleucid, and Ptolemaic empires as well.
  One Empire, (under various names – like Rashidun and Ottoman Caliphates,) attempted to control the entire world extending into the realm of WW1. It took a combined effort, but Britain played a huge role in shutting the Ottoman empire down in 1924.

I found myself asking, why do we have kingdoms?

I suppose a part of the answer lies in public safety, at least that is what they tell you. However, the truth is, those who have obtained power, by whatever means, fight desperately to maintain it, and that requires money and loyalty. Sadly, loyalty must often be bought or created through marriage or a truce. In reality, the desperate methods used to maintain power causes the commoner to suffer. If the Islamic Caliphate is the kingdom in question, do they operate on these terms? The answer is, not necessarily. While the people who are NOT Islamic suffer tremendously, if they pay the Jizya tax, they have a chance to live as others do. Typically, NON-Islamic people are deemed infidels and killed by various means. The preferred method is beheading.

Daniel 7:24

• And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise; and another shall arise after them, and he shall be different from the former ones, and he shall subdue and put down three kings.
  
  

  Revelation 13:1 NASB And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

  
  
  The obvious thing here is, that there were to be ten kings come out of this fourth kingdom. Again, with the Islamic empire, it is more difficult to ascertain a king. It is not, however, difficult to count the Imams; the leaders of the Caliphates. Currently, the President of Turkey, Princip Erdogan, is trying to establish himself as the leader of the final Caliphate.

Here is where the clues get intense and more specific.

Daniel 7:25

• And he shall speak words against the Most High [God] and shall wear out the saints of the Most High
  
  

  These words are almost identical to the descriptions of the Antichrist character we see in the Revelation.

• and think to change the time [of sacred feasts and holy days] and the law
  
  

  Here is where an understanding of Islamic goals comes in handy, for this is exactly what they intend to do. They wish to instill Sharia laws that supersede established law. This gives them the right to behead for blasphemy against Allah, a demonic entity.

  
  

  Another aspect of this change includes their own calendar. Anything we have will be done away with.

• and the saints shall be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time [three and one-half years]

This is a specific reference to the martyred of Revelation.

Revelation 13:7 NASB It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.

Daniel 7:26

But the judgment shall be set [by the court of the Most High], and they shall take away his dominion to consume it [gradually] and to destroy it [suddenly] in the end.

• This is another reference to future judgment by Jesus.

Revelation 20:10-11 NASB 10- And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11- Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.

I wish it was more explicit but you should get the point.

If you intently study Daniel 2:41-43, you find that the Aramaic word for mixed is ‛araḇ. An Aramaic verb meaning to mix, to mingle, to join together. The implications are widespread, as one can mean unification, while others suggest non-cooperation beyond a point.

Daniel 2:41

• • “In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron,

    Anyone, with any experience building, knows this is structurally unsound.

  • it will be a divided kingdom;

    Divided is Aramaic word pelag̱: An Aramaic verb meaning to split,

  • but it will have in it the toughness of iron,

    Toughness is the Aramaic word that also means strength.

  • inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay.

    Most everyone understands what iron is, a high carbon steel that has strength. However, when applied to people, it can mean inflexible and unyielding.

If this fourth kingdom we are talking about is Islam, the problem is that there are differing sects, none of which get along,. Add to this “mix” God's declarations concerning Ishmael:

Genesis 16:12 NASB "He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him, And he will live to the east of all his brothers."

Daniel 2:42

• "As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle.

  Brittle means fragile. Keep in mind are talking belief systems; ideologies, and people.

The word arab also means intermingled. Intermingled with whom?

Daniel 2:43

And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.

As we have already witnessed that a form of Jihad is mass integration and intermingling. Raping the citizens produces children that they claim for their own as a Muslim. In this way, they reproduce rapidly.

As we migrated through the body of Nebuchadnezzar's dream statue, we end with four kingdoms, and none other is described to us.

The fourth kingdom, however, is different, but it is up to us figure out why.

Without breaking stride, we transition to the fourth kingdom, one that is split into two and progresses down to the feet, which are mixed with clay. This picture tells us that it becomes structurally unsound.

God considers all of those ruling under this empires title to all be aspects of the fourth kingdom. (We see this in Revelation 13, for the fourth, comes out of the ten.) During the days of these kings “the God of Heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed,” What is this? The Millennial reign.

Daniel 2:44

"In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

Luke 1:31-33 NASB "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32- "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33- and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."

Revelation 11:15 NASB Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."

Yes, you are right, Daniel does not end there, but foregoing one more verse we are done. If you were like me and read about the statue that Nebuchadnezzar saw, then you were quite probably befuddled about some of the same things I was. An example: where do people get the idea that the fourth empire is the Roman empire, and, what about those feet? Having God lay out the first three empires for us is a good thing, but to be honest, you have to do your homework in order to find out that the fourth, loosely defined empire is the remnants of his Alexandrian Empire.

One more question. Why is any of this important to us?

As my pastor recently said, these end times things you speak of are really peripheral. The implication is that they mean nothing or at best little to our Christian lives. Is that true? The answer is NO, and the reason why, as I see it, is because we are currently living in the last days. Now why would I say such a thing, as clearly, there are events that must take place and haven't happened yet, such as the apostasy of the church - oops, that has happened; or a ten nation confederation attacking Israel, and quite soon. But staying attune with the global news gives you an understanding of how painfully close we are to seeing Israel attacked. An aspect of the end times, at least more precisely "the great tribulation" is the persecution of those who missed the snatching away of the church and are now having to prove their allegiance to God by giving their lives, primarily to the sword. Again, look around you. Is that happening all around us? The answer is YES.

We are there and He is coming soon to catch away those who are waiting for Him.

The Millennial Kingdom – How did all these people get here?

This is a heavily edited reblog from 2012.

If you read my blogs, then you know that I grapple with much of what I write. Another way to put this is, I sit with guys who wrestle with understanding and fail to get clear answers from the group leaders.

Here goes another one. Let's assume a scenario; I just happen to think this is how it will happen (based on what I see in scripture):

The Rapture comes – The great snatching away of the church (that is a whole other issue) takes place. The rapture, as I see it, is on the cutting edge of God's wrath, and God's wrath is an integral part of the Great Tribulation.

Sadly this is also an argument that I encountered, as the group leader of another group could not handle the idea that the “great tribulation” was exclusively God's wrath being poured out upon the earth and it's inhabitants. The inhabitant's aspect has very specific targets: Israel and the nations. Here is why.

Israel

2 Kings 22:13-17 NASB "Go, inquire of the LORD for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us." ….... "Behold, I bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. "Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched."'

While it is almost mandatory to have two witnesses, I find the theme about God's wrath in many places throughout the Bible. 2Kings 22:13-17 states it so clearly that I am not going to expound any further, save to say. God is angry with Israel. Don't get all happy about that, because the astute will find in Scripture that God has never given up on Israel and will open their eyes so that they can see Jesus as the Messiah they are looking for. God then places them in positions of authority during the millennial reign.

The nations

First, you need to understand that this originally meant anyone outside of God's chosen people. Consider that Caleb was only considered a Jew because of conversion and yet we are endeared to him for his courage and bravery while spying for Israel. For a portion of Caleb's life, he was considered to be from among the nations.

Since the door was open to us to be ingrafted into the vine, which is Israel, those of us from among the nations, also known as the Gentiles, are now an aspect of the church. If you are astute, then you picked up on the idea that there are only three people groups in God's consideration – the Jews; the nations, and the church. With the church being raptured the only two people groups considered are the nations and Israel. At any moment, before the rapture, anyone can change their category by accepting Jesus as Lord.

Just because I made a statement about providing two witnesses, I will do just that.

Exhibit A:

Isaiah 13:3-16 NASB I have commanded My consecrated ones, I have even called My mighty warriors, My proudly exulting ones, To execute My anger. (4) A sound of tumult on the mountains, Like that of many people! A sound of the uproar of kingdoms, Of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts is mustering the army for battle. (5) They are coming from a far country, From the farthest horizons, The LORD and His instruments of indignation, To destroy the whole land. (6) Wail, for the day of the LORD, is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. (7) Therefore all hands will fall limp, And every man's heart will melt. (8) They will be terrified, Pains and anguish will take hold of them; They will writhe like a woman in labor, They will look at one another in astonishment, Their faces aflame. (9) Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it. (10) For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light. (11) Thus I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. (12) I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold And mankind than the gold of Ophir. (13) Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, And the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the LORD of hosts In the day of His burning anger. (14) And it will be that like a hunted gazelle, Or like sheep with none to gather them, They will each turn to his own people, And each one flee to his own land. (15) Anyone who is found will be thrust through, And anyone who is captured will fall by the sword. (16) Their little ones also will be dashed to pieces Before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered And their wives ravished.

The thing you might try to challenge is that it says He will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity, and you would be right, but what is the nations if it is not the world in general? The other aspect of this is that it says that mortal man will be scarcer than pure gold. A generalization I could make is that the survivors making it into the millennial reign will be relatively few.

The second scriptural witness (Exhibit B), is Jeremiah 10:10.

Jeremiah 10:10 KJV But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

While Jeremiah 10:10 does not give specific examples of how that indignation will be delivered, an honest realization would tell you that the entire period of God's wrath is His indignation.

Jeremiah 10:25 is indicative that God is coming with a fury upon those that do not know Him. The implication is willful rejection and this can apply to the religious who are left behind.

Jeremiah 10:25 Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not,

The Great Tribulation

The Great Tribulation Has two components -

The first being God's wrath being poured out upon the earth in the form of:

1. The seven seal judgments;
2. the seven trumpet judgments;
3. the seven bowl judgments.
   These judgments may not look like God's hand especially when you look at the players involved, but it is. If nothing else happened, such as beheadings in the name of Allah, I cannot imagine anyone surviving on the earth, and yet many do.

The second component is the work of the Beast, (The beast in this instance is a man driven by a Satanic spirit. That spirit has shown up many times, in many people, throughout man's tenure here on earth.) and the False Prophet.

(Islam fulfills both of these roles in their prophecies. The Mahdi, also known as the 12th Iman, and a “prophetic” person named Isa ben Maryiam - in English, Jesus, the son of Mary, not God. I am telling you that if you find out more about who these characters are that Islam is anxiously awaiting, it will not only alarm you, but scripture will make more sense than you ever thought possible. The former President of Iran, in three addresses to the United Nations, has opened his speech with a prayer and call for the Mahdi to come quickly. When the Mahdi comes it will be during a time of chaos and destruction.)

At the Rapture of the Church, those awaiting the return of Jesus Christ will be removed from the earth.

If the church is gone, who is left?

• Religious folk.

These include those who thought they should have gone and cults who live on the fringe of a relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord.

A quick commentary on the religious folk that get left behind:

One of the things that caught my attention was Matthew 25:1 where Jesus said the last day would be like ten virgins that were coming to the wedding. Half of them, though invited and on their way, were unprepared when the call finally came. They all seem to meet up at some appropriate place, but in the course of time, they ran out of lamp oil. Immediately they started scrambling for oil; demanding oil from the others. A key to understanding what is happening here, which Matthew 25:5 explains, “While the bridegroom tarried they slumbered and slept.” When you consider that no oil based lamp burns forever and must be refilled, then there must be the need to replenish that oil continuously. That would have to be on a daily basis, and multiple times a day.

I believe I understand what this tarrying and slumbering looks like, for as I talk about the imminent return of Jesus for His church with people, this is what I get, “why are you getting all worked up, we have been waiting for him for over two thousand years. Besides, the world is always in turmoil, and people are ever in tribulation.” With that being said, they spiritually go back to sleep. This lack of concern has a familiar ring to, as it should, and we find it in 2Peter 3:3-5.

2 Peter 3:3-5 KJV Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (4) And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (5) For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

• The nations.

  The nations are a broad and varied mix of people; of which, some, as we will see, have a wanton desire to kill anyone who comes into a knowledge of or relationship with Jesus during the period of God's wrath, called the Great Tribulation.

• And some Jews
  The effect this has on the Jews is played out as the angel Gabriel spells out the last days for Daniel.

Daniel 12:9-12 NASB He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. (10) "Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. (11) "From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. (12) "How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!

[Do the math. The days numbered here equal 7.2 years.]

So we established that many religious types will be left here; what about the others?

While Islam believes in a god, no less than the Eastern religions, I did not include them as I thought about the religious folk left behind. In general, one is left to assume that those left behind are the completely godless and arrogant.

• The saints – those beheaded for their testimony, among other things, during the time of wrath.
  Many of these are the religious that finally are awakening but not all; this can include the Jews for scripture tells us that God will lift the veil off their eyes and they will see that Jesus is the Messiah they longed for. There will be those we often deem the cults. I believe that the truth is in the books they carry but it is masked in deception. Can you imagine the anger they will feel when they realize how deceived they were?

Revelation 20:4 KJV 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 worshiped 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.

• The rich and the poor

The poor are already being slowly exterminated, while the rich will hide in luxury caves. Scripture tells us that the rich will be crying out for the rocks to fall on them to hide them from the wrath of God. Odd that they recognize it as such.

• And because there are always those who wantonly kill, we will have:

• Religious zealots who will kill you because you are not Islamic.

  We already see this happening.

• And the bullies.

  Those that attempt to control remaining resources for a profit, people will be killed by these during this time.

But there are other people.

Revelation 21:8 KJV But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

The fearful; unbelieving; abominable; murderers; whoremongers; sorcerers; idolaters, and all liars. This list makes up quite the rogues gallery. The question is, where did they come from?

Why is it a question at all?

Because as I sit in Bible Study – we are told only Christians survive the tribulation, and everyone else goes to a fiery hell. This teaching is not only wrong but an example of the false teachers we see in 2Peter 2:1.

2 Peter 2:1 KJV But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Why make a point of this? Because the things these false teachers scream at us attempt to make, us believe that God's character and nature are anything but love and mercy.

Consider a piece of logic. Since Satan is bound during the Millennial reign, then Revelation 21:8 shows me that people still have the freedom of choice, and part of that choice is not to serve Him willfully. I say that because the nations, those who would not bow willfully before God before this time, will be forced to bow before Him, in Jerusalem, during the Feast of Tabernacles, which transpires over a seven day period.

At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is released and rallies the nations, those outside the camp of God, against the camp of God. Who is Satan deceiving this time? Not those who live in the city, but those that live outside the city. Were they outside because they refused to acknowledge Jesus Lordship? There are a lot of possibilities, but exclusion is not one of them. Would they have been safe if they had been inside? Certainly.

A quick reassessment.

We have people during the millennial reign that are walking in the name of their god and living outside the city.

Revelation 22:14-15 CEV (14) God will bless all who have washed their robes. They will each have the right to eat fruit from the tree that gives life, and they can enter the gates of the city. (15) But outside the city will be dogs, witches, immoral people, murderers, idol worshipers, and everyone who loves to tell lies and do wrong.

These two verses in Revelation 22:14-15 stun me.

1. I would have thought that the time of washing of the robes had passed. Perhaps this is a continuing process which implies that Holy Spirit is still alive and active even during the millennial reign.
2. People are continuing to come to Christ.
   Sure, Satan is no longer an issue, but people can still choose. The relevant aspect of this is that life continues to go on. Survivors of the Great Tribulation continue to have families, and we now have an exponential multiplication of people once again. Every one of those people will apparently have to choose Jesus over whatever else is being offered to them.
3. Only those who have washed their robes can enter the gates.
   Apparently, this continues to imply the blood of Christ and salvation. Therefore an acceptance of the price he paid for us is necessary and continuing to happen.
4. Verse 15 is the most unnerving part of all. For it implies that sin still attempts to run rampant throughout the earth. Jesus and the millennial saints would seem to be the peacekeepers, and I suspect that blatantly sinful indulgences will be dealt with swiftly. But I never in my wildest imagination thought that God, in his mercy, would allow such a thing to happen at this point.

Therefore it is safe to assume that there have been survivors of the tribulation and that God's mercy has pulled them through.

We tend to think of the tribulation as a time of purging, and it is but of all evil? Apparently not, and scripture proves that out; for man's ability to choose has not been taken away. Many have made some form of choice to follow God and not the anti-Christ; therefore what we see in Matthew 25 with the sheep and goats, is God extending his hand of mercy and pulling them into the eternal heavens right next to the saints of God. I do not thoroughly understand how those that survived without taking the mark or worshiping the beast, according to Revelation 20:4, get to enter into God's grace, for it seems that their previous refusal to comply should play a negative role in God's decision-making process. And yet, He appears to give them an all-access pass to, at the least, the millennial reign. Indeed, these are included among the people we see here during the millennial reign, and the only explanation is God's mercy.

Related articles

• 16 Year Old's Vision Of The Great Tribulation Will Shock You (VIDEO)
• What the world needs now is Truth
• Aren't you just a bit curious about what John had to say? John 1:19-20

Revelation 11:1-2, Jerusalem under the power of the antichrist.

The last thing John hears that distinguishes the end of chapter 10 is:

"You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."

In essence, you have heard the end of things under the rule of rebellion, now go and tell them. And yet, God is not done talking. Thus we begin chapter 11.

Revelation 11:1-2 GW Then I was given a stick like a measuring stick (A reed). I was told, "Stand up and measure the temple of God and the altar. Count those who worship there. (2) But do not measure the temple courtyard. Leave that out, because it is given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.

Given a reed – a measuring device, with instructions to measure all but the court of the gentiles. Why?

As I began to write I had this image of a real-estate person come into my head. He walked through the building taking measurements for the owner. In Ezekiel's case, he watched as the owner did the measuring. So, perhaps God is demonstrating his ownership or possession of the temple. Later I came back to my computer where I can quickly look at multiple comparative resources as to why would he give it over to the gentiles and find that John MacArthur said something very similar. This ownership aspect sounds great, but considering that the temple court is given to the Gentiles it does not work for me. Why would “God's” temple be quickly given away? I suppose the simple answer is God has a plan.

We are given the answer, but do we understand it? It is given to the gentiles.

Why would he give it over to the gentiles?

This is God's temple, and who are the gentiles? But think about my statement, “this is God's temple”. Is it? King David was not allowed to build God a temple but his son Solomon was. The temple had been robbed by Israel's kings and turned into a corrupt commercial enterprise by the time Jesus walked its courts. In 1Samuel 4:21 God declared that the glory had departed from Israel because the ark was taken, but the glory was no longer in the ark, it was in the man Jesus Christ, and on the day he died the temple veil was ripped in two, exposing, in a sense, the world emptiness of the holy place to the world and freeing God to be in those who chose to be his people. If you have read the Revelation then you might have noticed, as I did, that it says the temple will be rebuilt, but you will not see it referred to as God's temple.

As of this writing there is no temple, so yes, your assumption that the temple must be rebuilt is correct. For the Jews to rebuild it and hand it over to the gentiles seems preposterous. There would have to be such tremendous pride involved in an accomplishment like this.

This is one of those moments when, as I was writing, the light came on. The Jews, and by extension the nation of Israel, will have a fresh pride and sense of security, but in what? God has always been trying to get them to look to him as their source. Having regained the land to rebuild, their pride will be looking in-ward once again. Can you imagine that. Islam has had control of the temple mount long enough to believe it is theirs. Read some of the literature about the volatility surrounding the mount and you will find comments indicating that Muslims are willing to state that there was no temple there. Now project that into the future.

Will Islam give up anything without a fight? Not for a moment, but they will for three and half years.

At this very moment the gentiles are struggling to gain control of Jerusalem. Here is a wild ride for you. November 2012 and the United Nations general assembly, by majority vote, granted the Palestinians statehood. From what I understand it is more a symbolic gesture at this point, but I can guarantee you that the can of worms has been opened and Israel is not giving up Jerusalem as its capital to any terrorist organizations. They (Israel), have openly challenged this “statehood” by moving forward with the building of more homes for Jews, and the Muslims have since posted no trespassing signs, indicating that the “UN decreed land” is Palestinian and that by illegally standing upon it actions will be taken against you. So the obvious factor here is an increase in strife, contention, and a Muslim populace that has control of the temple mount. Muslims will not allow the Jews to even walk on the temple mount as it is considered holy ground for their mosque.

The new temple, and the Holy City, Jerusalem, are to be trampled by these Gentiles for forty-two months. That is three-and a half years.

For 42 months Israel will hardly be recognizable. Therefore the only real purpose that we can attribute to such unusual action is that it fulfills God's plan. I suppose that I could also say that this is part of God's judgment against Israel. I can totally see this, but that does not mean I have to like it. I know how I react to things and it will be a slap in the face. I think, as I write, I am slowly beginning to understand some of the depth of the rejection that God had to endure.

What do we know about those that trample and pollute the temple in the future?

Our natural assumptions, especially if you are religious, is to assume that the gentiles are primarily the Greeks or Romans. The Jews saw them as anyone outside of the covenant, or non-Jewish peoples. Essentially we are using the term Gentiles to describe the nations. Color and ethnicity have little to do with it.

Daniel chapter 9 gives us a little insight. After an extended prayer of repentance over himself, his people, and their lack of faith an angel comes and gives him a look into the future.

I am going to give you two versions. The first translation baffled me, and was a part of why I could not understand end times events for the longest time.

Daniel 9:26 YLT And after the sixty and two weeks, cut off is Messiah, and the city and the holy place are not his, the Leader who hath come doth destroy the people; and its end is with a flood, and till the end is war, determined are desolations.

Although it did not clear things up for me I heard many speakers try to explain “these sixty-two weeks are weeks of years.” Sorry, but it only hurt my head more. Even my MacArthur's commentary adds, “these are weeks of years.” The following verse tends to say it clearest for me; “After the sixty-two sets of seven time periods...”. Now if I substitute the concept of time periods for years then I am talking about sixty-two sets of seven-year periods (62x7). In this case 434 years.

Daniel 9:26 ERV After the “sixty-two sets of seven time periods”¹, the chosen one will be killed. He will be gone. Then the people of the future leader will destroy the city and the holy place. That end will come like a flood. War will continue until the end. God has ordered that place to be completely destroyed.

Analyze the passage slowly and it will make sense. Daniel 9:26 KJV “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off,”. Compare that with the words that others used, ascertaining the consensus and you will discover that we are talking about Jesus Christ. The NIV called him: “the Anointed One”. Scripture lays out Jesus death on the cross very clearly for us, and history backs it up. So we can say with a confidence that the first sentence is without a doubt talking about Jesus.

Many will get caught up in anger, argument, and confusion as they scream out, “but Titus destroyed the temple in 70 A.D., so this passage in reference to a far-flung, future event is bogus and nonsense!” Not quite so. Josephus recorded the events of the day and proves out a slightly different angle. The legions in Jerusalem, according to Josephus, were composed of a few Italian troops while the majority were conscripts from locally conquered nations such as Syria and Arabia. Both of which despised the Jews that they were among.

It was the Assyrian troops, under the banner of Rome, that took it upon themselves to sack the temple. Hearing of this Titus ran among them and seeing as the fire they had set was one that could be stopped ordered them to stop their destructive actions and put the fire out. They ignored his order, escalated their actions, and brutally slaughtered Jews in hopes or obtaining any gold they might have swallowed.

Popular religious theory likes to hang their hat on the prince that is to come as being Italian, and therefore the pope himself. Yeah, right. The problem with that thinking is that it was not Titus, the Roman general, that destroyed the temple, but the Assyrians. If we follow the path back to the destroyers, then we are talking about a leader that comes out of the middle-east, and is with little doubt Islamic. Are you paying attention to what is going in the Middle-east, and Islam's impact on the world around you. It is not good and it is coming to your neighborhood.

If you wish to pursue some in-depth scriptural backing for all this then look into: Mideast Beast: The Scriptural Case for an Islamic Antichrist, by Joel Richardson (Author)

Now the sixty-two sets of seven time periods have come and gone, and yet there is no future leader as yet, nor prince that has come and destroyed the city, as of yet. So it is safe to say that this continues to speak of a future time. I suspect that time is just around the corner and not another 2200 years.

Daniel tells us that the people of the prince to come will destroy the city. That is a fairly blunt way of putting it. Revelation 11:2 in the King James version states that they will trample the city and overtake the temple, again.

Seventy weeks (490 years²) have been fixed for your people and your holy town, to let wrongdoing be complete and sin come to its full limit, and for the clearing away of evil-doing and the coming in of eternal righteousness: so that the vision and the word of the prophet may be stamped as true, and to put the holy oil on a most holy place. Daniel 9:24 (BBE)

As I read Daniel 9:24 it sounds like God is fully intended to bring everything to an end.

What do we understand as the end? Christ's triumphant and deadly return to the earth, after which the millennial reign is set up, and the Holy Temple and city are re-established.

Again we are back to scratching our heads as what to do with this mystery time period. Problem is no one really knows, but we can speculate with reason because there are now so many other aspects falling into place.

Revelation calls the this prince/leader that is to come not only the beast (one of many) but also an antichrist. Paul told us that anything that sets itself up against God, denying his power and life is an antichrist, so the title fits.

1 John 2:22 NIV Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist--denying the Father and the Son.

Who is John writing to?

• Jews that will listen to what he has to say.
• The church or the body of Christ depending upon your understanding.
• The Gentiles or nations.

Why would John write to these groups?

1. To increase knowledge.
   The world deems it self-defeating to give the enemy your game plan? Not when God is in control.
2. As a warning.
   Every group is being warned. Look at the first four chapters of the Revelation and you clearly see the church body receiving warnings, but there is also an opportunity to change.
3. To establish prophecy.
   What does that mean? Revelation 19:10 KJV “...worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” So it makes sense for us to give the testimony of Jesus as an aspect of our speaking to others about our life in Christ. To the Jewish reader (the largest majority during this time was Jewish), they understand that prophecy is demonstrated and established in pattern. Pattern = Validation, believability, and consistency.

So for chapter 11 to open with the measuring of the temple is hugely significant, especially to the Jewish community. Reading and learning the Law and the prophets was expected and a source of a father's pride. They knew the relationship to Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 40:1-3 KJV In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither. (2) In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south. (3) And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

If time is to be no more, then the measuring of the New Jerusalem and the temple mark the immediacy of their integration here on earth.

after eating the scroll

John was told, after eating the scroll, that he was to tell many others.

Revelation 10:11 KJV And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

The word before is Epi and carries meanings of “on, at, and before.” To speak “at” someone can be interpreted as an aggressive posture, but we certainly saw the apostle Paul do that at times. It seems that it is often the only way to break through some dense thinking.

In the case of Ezekiel he too is instructed to declare. How does this fit into the “pattern”?

Ezekiel 40:3-4 KJV And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate. (4) And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.

The Jews who read the Revelation were well aware of what Ezekiel had written about a city that was to come. Unfortunately, they did not recognize that it was the Messiah himself who did the measuring the first time.

Even the idea that the Gentiles would trample on the Holy City was an understood concept. Jesus himself spoke of this.

Luke 21:24 KJV And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

Isaiah 5:5 NIV Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled.

In Isaiah, the example of the vineyard is Israel, and God himself told Israel that it will be trampled.

Let me reiterate something I said earlier. John's largest audience at the time of writing was Jewish Christians. They did not give up their Jewish understanding, and their training would, usually, had them memorize the prophets I referenced.

Maybe if you walk away from this with anything, remember this. This is a very Jewish book and God has not decided to give up on this people. Their understanding and culture is integral to our interpretation. The second thing I wish people could comprehend, this book was meant to be read and understood.

Pursue knowledge and understanding. God will open the windows of heaven to those who wish to understand. Proverbs 9:10 tells us: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

I suggest that you accept him as the Lord of your life. I am not very good at this evangelism stuff but try something like this. Jesus, I receive you into my life, and I accept this life that paid so dearly for me to receive. Thank you for bringing me into this family of God and that I get to spend eternity with you. Thank you for life and the peace that you bring into my life. Fill my life with your Holy Spirit as you have promised.

I can guarantee you that some will criticize me for my lack of appropriate wording, but consider something. Hanging next to Jesus was two criminals, paying for crimes committed. Apparently based upon what he saw, one of the thieves asked Jesus to remember him when he came into paradise. That meant that in those few hours, that thief came to some understanding of who he was and what he represented. That thief came to acknowledge, in a simplistic way, that Jesus was who the people screaming at him were denying. And he was accepted into the kingdom when he died. What did Jesus say to him, “this day you will be with me in paradise.”

1Copyright © 1995 by GOD'S WORD to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.

2Emphasis: mine

Related articles

• Jews Banned from Temple Mount
• Day 17- Baby's First Trip to the Temple
• Prophetic News: Mitt Romney wants to rebuild the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem.
• Tales of the Early Church and Judaism
• Jerusalem Mayor: Let Jews Pray on Temple Mount
• Muslim Temple denial continues
• Islamic Crusades 3: The Co-Option of Jerusalem