One of the common misconceptions held by many secular people is that they do not fall under the jurisdiction of God because of the fact that they do not claim to be Christians, and have never entered into a covenant relationship with Christ as the Jews of old did. Now while it is true that the separation of church and state means that doctrinal and theological matters should be settled within the borders of the church, yet the state is also held accountable by God for the institution and the promulgation of right principles and laws which do not lead the populace deeper into the abyss of sin.
In the days of the ancient Hebrews, God had entered into a special covenant relationship with His people, and they in turn avowed their allegiance
to Him through a solemn covenant and ceremony. Thus their allegiance was pledged to The King of heaven, to serve Him and to be instructed and corrected by Him as He saw best, and He in turn would greatly prosper them and protect them from all their foes. Let’s read:
Exodus 19:19:3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
19:4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and [how] I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine:
19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These [are] the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
19:7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.
19:8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.
Now, this covenant made by God, and entered into by the people via a solemn oath, constituted the official beginning of a theocracy, or “One nation under God”, where The Lord had direct jurisdiction over the Hebrews. However, the many other pagan nations of the earth who had never signed on to any such agreement, were also under God’s domain and rule, and as such were also required by Him to promote to the best of their knowledge and ability, right and godly principles, as best they knew how.
This sacred truth covers the entire spectrum of humanity, from national leaders to the average person working a nine to five job. All nations, and every single one of us without exception are held accountable by God for the knowledge of truth and duty that we know of, or that is available to us. A misunderstanding of this solemn truth has caused a wide rift in our relationship with God, but the time
has now fully come for it to be disclosed.
As we study line upon line, we will observe that the notion which is commonly held by many, pertaining to secular, or even atheistic governments being exempt from God’s jurisdiction, is without scriptural foundation, and therefore a thorough and in-depth analysis of this sacred truth is absolutely necessary in order for a much needed restoration of our nation’s relationship with Him to take place.
Ancient Babylon was as secular and pagan as it gets, and the king of Babylon thought that because of his standing in the secular world, that he was thereby exempt from the jurisdiction of God, but nothing could be further from the truth, for he soon found out that nations are held accountable by God, whether they have a covenant relationship with Him or not. For instance, when Nebuchadnezzar’s heart was lifted up with pride, He was paid a visit by The God of heaven, who informed him that some “Humble pie” was being prepared for him, which he must partake of, until he understood that God reigns in the kingdom of men. Let’s read:
Daniel 4:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
4:2 I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.
4:3 How great [are] his signs! and how mighty [are] his wonders! his kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion [is] from generation to generation.
4:4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace:
4:5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
4:6 Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise [men] of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.
4:7 Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
4:10 Thus [were] the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof [was] great.
4:11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
4:12 The leaves thereof [were] fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it [was] meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.
4:13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;
4:14 He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:
4:15 Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and [let] his portion [be] with the beasts in the grass of the earth:
4:16 Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him: and let seven times pass over him.
4:17 This matter [is] by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
The Chaldeans, astrologers, magicians, and Voo-doo men of Babylon could not interpret the dream, because spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and the methods they employ rely heavily on signs and wonders, astrology and superstition, and therefore, the correct interpretation of this dream must of necessity come through a servant of The Living God, who reveals secrets and dissolves doubts, as manifested through Daniel. Let’s read:
Daniel 4:19 Then Daniel, whose name [was] Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream [be] to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.
4:20 The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong” …..
4:22 It [is] thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.
4:23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth” ……….
4:24 This [is] the interpretation, O king, and this [is] the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:
4:25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
4:26 And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.
4:27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
QUESTION: How is it that The Lord through Daniel is specifying certain sins that need to be repented of by the king, even though Nebuchadezzar has never been baptized, nor has ever entered into any formal relationship with God? How is it, that although he is not a professed Christian, God is now holding him responsible for the institution of just laws and statutes throughout his kingdom?
The answer lies in this solemn truth that needs to be understood, that all men, whether rulers in high office or the general public at large, must one day answer to God for the deeds done in the body, and especially is this the case with those whom have been invested with religious and secular authority, for there is absolutely no difference between the two. God is the one who sets up kings, presidents, senators, and governors, and if they do not step up to the plate by guiding the nations under their jurisdiction into right paths, the same God will take them down sooner or later, for this is His exclusive right and prerogative, to execute in due season according to His good will. Let’s read:
Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power,
resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist
shall receive to themselves damnation.
13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to [execute] wrath upon him that doeth evil.
13:5 Wherefore [ye] must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
13:6 For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute [is due]; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Here again is the same occurrence that took place with Nebuchadnezzar, but this time it is happening to the king of Nineveh, a city that was given over to idolatry, vice, iniquity, and violence, in so much that their sins had reached unto the high heavens where God dwells. Again, there is absolutely no record or even a hint of any covenant relationship between this nation and God, yet they were required to carry out by precept and example, the truths and upright principles if righteousness, as best they knew how.
When they failed, after many years of God’s loving entreaty to have them turn from their wicked ways, God sends the prophet Jonah with a startling message of coming judgments, so that like king Nebuchadnezzar, they too might understand that all nations are actually under God, and will have to answer to Him when their time comes due. Let’s read:
Jonah 1:1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
1:2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3:1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
3:2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
3:3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.
3:4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
3:5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
3:6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered [him] with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
3:7 And he caused [it] to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
3:8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands.
3:9 Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did [it] not.
It’s curiously strange, how when some impending judgment is looming on the horizon, that everyone knows exactly what their sins are, and how everyone knows for sure what needs to be repented of, without anyone saying anything. Jonah did not point out any specific sin that needed redress, all he said is that the city had forty days of probation remaining, and suddenly everyone knew where the closest church was, who was preaching that day, and the hours of service, and according to our understanding of the sacred record, no one showed up late for church during those forty days.
Everyone was curiously punctual during those forty days of probationary time, and Wednesday night prayer meeting, which usually had only four or five meager attendees, was now full to capacity, in so much that people had to stand in line for several hours, which for some unknown reason they willingly did without a murmur or complaint. Very, very strange indeed!
After 9/11, when our peace and tranquility was suddenly broken by the unprecedented attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, churches were full to capacity and overflowing, and those who had not attended services for several years, now knew exactly where their former church was located, and congregations, synagogues, mosques, and churches alike saw attendance skyrocket as never before. The following is just a brief summary of the facts, covering church attendance before and after that period as stated by a column written by Fox news. Let’s read:
"After 9/11 we had 20-some odd thousand people show up," said Senior Pastor Ed Young. "The largest crowd in the history of Fellowship Church…and when I walked on stage I looked around and said, 'Where have you guys been? It takes something like this for you to show up to church?'"
But the pews were soon a bit roomier.
"I was disappointed somewhat that more didn't stick because we dropped…to 16 or 17 thousand the next weekend and then the weekend after that to about 14,500," he said.
By some estimates, on the Sunday following the terror attacks roughly half of the adult population in the United States attended a religious service. But the attendance dropped off starting in November.
George Barna of Barna Research expressed amazement at the outcome of the study. He went into the project expecting to see a lasting spiritual impact following the attacks, he said, and was very surprised to find that people had gone back to the way they were spiritually before Sept. 11.
And within our own ranks church attendance surged dramatically, and that little red book, “Last day events” flew off the shelves at such a rapid pace that in just a couple days, there were no copies to be found anywhere. The Bible teaches us that God takes no delight in the destruction of His earthborn children, for He is a God of love, and hates the very
thought of millions of people coming to an untimely end. That’s why in the sequel of Jonah and the Ninevites, the Bible says that God saw and accepted their repentance and turned away the coming judgments, so that the city was spared, and as a result, many of them will be saved in God’s eternal kingdom of glory. Let’s read:
Jonah 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas”….
This response by God is in uniform harmony with His character and purposes for all nations and individuals, for He does not change, and has purposed to save as many as desire to be saved through the interposition of Jesus Christ on our behalf. This is the message that was given to Nicodemus, a clergyman and a politician, in his first interview with Christ and has continued steadfastly down through the ages, even to our present generation. Let’s read:
John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and”… 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?” …..
3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
The same theme of God’s matchless love is echoed throughout the Bible, for love is the foundation of His government, and although at times, because of our limited knowledge of triggering mechanisms, spiritual catalysts, and variables, we may not be able to fully comprehend why He permits disasters, wars, and tragedies, yet we can have the assurance based on His character, that He knows exactly what He is doing, for in all of His operations and providences, that common, golden thread of love can be traced, as the Bible clearly states. Let’s read:
1st John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.
But something very drastic has obviously taken place as it pertains to our relationship with God, for
the same message of God’s love has taken on an entirely different tone in the last book of the Bible, than when Christ spoke to Nicodemus that night. In the book of Revelation, chapter thirteen, “The” everlasting gospel is presented to the last generation of earth’s inhabitants, and whereas the word “Love” is used repeatedly in the gospels and throughout the New Testament, it is strangely absent in all of the three angels’ messages.
God obviously has not changed, but instead a very notable change must have taken place in our basic understanding of who God is, and because of this, the current popular, but erroneous concepts we now harbor, has caused Him to introduce the gospel in our age with a stern warning, one that is carried throughout the entire spectrum of the three angels’ messages to our generation. Let’s read:
Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation” …..
That word “Love” is strangely absent even though we know that God never changes, and still loves us, and is still in the business of saving as many who desire to be saved. There are many prominent religious world leaders who are currently presenting only smooth sermons of God’s matchless love, with no mention of impending judgment and the need for repentance, and by so doing many are thereby presenting a “Jesus” who apparently has no backbone, and who is too loving to punish those who are hardened in rebellion.
This new “Jesus” let’s us do as we please without any remonstrance on his part, and he allows us to change the marriage institution, by adding our own amendments and interpretations to suit our fancy, while he sits idly by, with a look of utter submission on his face. This new “Jesus” allows us to change the sacred laws given from Mount Sinai to suit our own ideas, by repudiating the doctrine of absolute truth in favor of relativism, where by the standard of righteousness changes from person to person.
This new Jesus is the one Paul and Christ warns us of repeatedly in the scriptures, but it seems as if their entreaties have fallen on deaf ears, thus drawing a stern response in the three angels’ messages, “The everlasting gospel” given to our generation. Let’s read:
Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
24:25 Behold, I have told you before.
2nd Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him].
2nd Corinthians 11:13 For such [are] false apostles,
deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the
apostles of Christ.
11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
11:15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
And it is because of these myriad deceptions about who God is, and the many false interpretations of His character which are scheduled to proliferate exponentially, why there seems to be a disconnect between Christ’s announcement of God’s great love to Nicodemus, and the threat issued in Revelation chapter 14. And so, in order for us to understand better, the reason for the three angels’ messages, and the appropriate response on our part, we now turn to the ancient kingdom of Babylon so that we can learn a few critically important lessons as it pertains to the phrase, “One nation under God”.
We begin with a dream given to the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar by name, in which God reveals to him in a night dream, the history of the rise and fall of nations, from the time of his kingdom, to the near future when God will establish His own eternal kingdom of righteousness with its headquarters located right here on earth. The dream causes the king to be very disturbed in his thoughts, but try as he might he could not remember the details, which only added to his frustration. Let’s read:
Daniel 2:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
2:2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
2:3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
2:4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
2:5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
2:6 But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
2:7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it.
2:8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
2:9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, [there is but] one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof.
2:10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter: therefore [there is] no king, lord, nor ruler, [that] asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
2:11 And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
2:12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise [men] of Babylon.
2:13 And the decree went forth that the wise [men] should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
2:14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise [men] of Babylon:
2:15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why [is] the decree [so] hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
2:16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation.
2:17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
2:18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon.
2:19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
2:21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
2:27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise [men], the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king;
2:28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
2:29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came [into thy mind] upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
2:31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible.
2:32 This image's head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
2:33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
2:36 This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
2:37 Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
2:42 And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, [but] it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
However, like so many other ancient and political contemporary leaders whom God has brought into office, Nebuchadnezzar decided to lift himself up against the God of heaven, by making an image of pure gold, thereby signifying that the kingdom of Babylon would be an eternal monarchy, in direct opposition to what God had in kindness shown him. Kings, rulers, presidents, senators, and governors also follow in the footsteps of Nebuchadnezzar when they try to annul what God has plainly spoken in His word, and therefore, the experiences of those who have gone before are written for our benefit, so that we do not repeat the same mistakes of the past. Let’s read:
Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height [was] threescore cubits, [and] the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3:3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
3:4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
3:5 [That] at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
3:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
The issue back then was one of worship, and the issue that will bring this earth’s history to a close will also be worship. This false form of worship, instituted in blatant opposition to what God had in mercy shown him, caused Nebuchadnezzar to try to force his will on the people, by issuing death threats to anyone who dared to disobey. But he was in for a rude awakening by The Son of God, and he was also to be given a profound lesson in science, in the persons of those who had stood rigidly for right principles. Let’s read:
Daniel 3:8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
3:9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
3:12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in [his] rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, [Is it] true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of” … “all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; [well]: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who [is] that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we [are] not careful to answer thee in this matter.
3:17 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.
3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
3:19 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.
3:20 And he commanded the most mighty men that [were] in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, [and] to cast [them] into the burning fiery furnace.
These “most mighty men” were not your average, everyday soldier, but were rather from the Babylonian special forces, men who were well trained in the special skills of warfare, and who had been selected for missions like these on account of their superior strength. These men were able to bench press a human being of three, four hundred pounds several times with hardly any effort, and they had access to the best of food, the best supplements, and the leading brand of anabolic steroids concocted in the secret laboratories of Babylon. These were not ordinary men, but were what we describe as the cream of the crop.
However, the three Hebrews had another Person living on the inside, and that Person now engaged His supernatural power to enable the faithful to withstand severe heat. What is worthy of note, and that is often overlooked in the narrative, is that they were rendered impregnable and indestructible before they landed in the fiery flames, because of their singular connection with the source of all heat, light, and electricity. Let’s read:
Daniel 3:21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their [other] garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
3:22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, [and] spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
In last week’s Bible study we mentioned this same occurrence, but we did not fully explain what was then said, but The Lord will now shed much light on the events which transpired during the incident. As the prophet Isaiah beheld the power and majesty of God, and the streams of fire and vivid lightnings coming from His person, he was moved to ask a rhetorical question, one that will explain what took place inside the three Hebrew boys. Let’s read:
Isaiah 33:14 “Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence [shall be] the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters [shall be] sure.
Question: What is this “Devouring fire” and what is the “Everlasting burning” that Isaiah is referring to? And the next question is equally as important: Who will be able to survive and live in the presence of God’s consuming fire, as the Bible accurately describes His Personage? For answers we turn to the scriptures that it may explain itself. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, [even] a jealous God.
1st John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Psalms 50:3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
50:4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
50:5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
50:6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God [is] judge himself.
Exodus 19:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
19:11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
19:12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, [that ye] go [not] up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that [was] in the camp trembled.
19:18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
19:20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses [up] to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
19:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
Exodus 24:15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
24:16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD [was] like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
24:18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
Exodus 34:28 And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
34:29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
34:30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
34:31 And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
34:32 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
34:33 And [till] Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.
34:34 But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel [that] which he was commanded.
34:35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire.
7:10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Having Jesus Christ living on the inside involves much more than adhering to a mere system of belief; it means being enabled through His power, and at His own discretion to withstand external forces of severe heat and cold, being enabled to stave off hunger and thirst, being enabled to withstand the advance of zoonotic diseases and all other strains of deadly viruses, and being strengthened with might in the inner man to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy, all this done according to His will, and is in harmony with what is expressly stated in the Bible. Let’s read a few passages of scripture which confirm these sacred truths:
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils” …. 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand;
2:2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, [even] to the years of many generations.
2:3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land [is] as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
2:4 The appearance of them [is] as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
2:5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
2:6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
2:7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
2:8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and [when] they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
2:10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
2:11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp [is] very great: for [he is] strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD [is] great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue [that] shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This [is] the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness [is] of me, saith the LORD.
In our day, the name of God is being dragged in the streets, and poor finite mortals who have not a clue as to whom they are dishonoring, take it upon themselves to change His sacred laws and to annul His institutions, not knowing who they are dealing with. And it is because of His great mercy and longsuffering why many people take it for granted that they can dictate to God and think that He must acquiesce to whatever we think is right in our own eyes. That’s why the messages in Revelation 14 begin with the words “Fear God”, and it is His will that as we study sacred history, that our hearts and minds may be subdued and surrendered to Him, so that the work of salvation which is now closing up, may have relevance in our personal lives.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word, for believe it or not, we are indeed “One nation under God” and the time is at hand. God bless!