Open—J. Hyland, M. Maurer, S. Jacobsen
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2 verses in Daniel 4.
Will introduce.
What we want to seek to find out.
From the Word of God.
This afternoon.
We have a revelation in our hands from God.
Let us read.
In Daniel 4, verse 13, first I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold a watcher.
And an holy one came down from heaven.
Verse 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.
There are living people here.
To the intent that the living may know.
Written given to Daniel.
Nearly 600 years before the cross.
But for.
Us. The point we want to make U.S. special this afternoon is that.
God is watching.
And he sees down here in this world.
Especially.
Three groups.
Namely, the Gentiles.
The Jews and the Church of God.
Now I believe in verse 13.
That this singular watcher, a watcher and an holy one, came down from heaven, refers to the Most High.
To God, to the Lord.
Because he had done it many times before.
Hold this place and turn back to Genesis.
Chapter 8.
No, it's not 8.
It's 11.
Genesis 11.
In connection with Babel.
That the Lord knew about and he says in verse.
Five. And the Lord came down.
To see the city and the tower which the children of men.
Build it. Now turn to the 18th chapter.
And this comes in in connection with Sodom.
It was in connection with Babel. In Chapter 11, chapter 18 it's in connection with.
Sodom.
Verse 20.
And the Lord said, because the cry of Sodom.
And Gamara is great, because their sin is very grievous. I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is coming to me.
And if not, I will know.
So you see back in our chapter in Daniel it was number new thing.
For the God of heaven.
To take an interest.
On the events that happen on the Earth.
Now I suspect that the day in which we live is just as interesting.
To God, as it was in the days of Sodom and the day of Babel.
And the day of Nebuchadnezzar.
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And we make much.
Of the events we see in our lifetime.
And I believe there is a principle in the word of God that we should look at them.
With the mind of a watcher.
God was the Watcher. Jehovah that came down.
He was that holy one but in verse 17417. Notice that verse again.
Daniel 4/17. This decree, this matter is the decree.
Of the watchers and the demand by the Word of the Holy ones.
Hold this verse again and turn with me to Psalm 103.
I think we have some light which will let us know.
Who the watchers and who the holy ones?
Are.
The 20th verse.
Now Psalm 103.
Bless the Lord, ye his angels that excel in strength.
That do his commandments, hearkening under the voice of His.
Word without reading it to you, I'll ask you to remember.
Having read Genesis 18 and 19.
That to Abraham came three men.
And when Abraham addressed them, he just says one.
Lord, He just addressed one. One of those three men was the Lord was Jehovah. The other two were apparently those angels that went on over.
To Sodom in chapter 19.
What we're getting here is the interest of heaven over things on the earth.
And that God bears long with things.
And then he judges.
But he always has a remnant.
And a godly Remnant to bring through a wicked world.
And to bring out of it before the final judgment.
The prophecies that come in Daniel we say prophecies.
Much of it is history, but thinking about it this way.
History and prophecy are exactly the same to God.
Limited in our understanding, we can't conceive.
Of the great I am, who is always that?
And so accurate is the prophecy that men have said. Daniel couldn't have written what he wrote.
But it's been proven by geology finding old manuscripts.
That what was given to Daniel was written before much of it took place.
Well, here was the time of Nebuchadnezzar.
We're living in the days of the Gentiles. These are the times of the Gentiles.
They began as to the times of the Gentiles that God speaks of.
With Nebuchadnezzar, they're still going on.
It is still the times of the Gentiles, that is, God took the throne of the government of the earth.
Away from the Jews and gave it to Nebuchadnezzar coming on down through.
Medio Persia through Greece to Rome.
Those four great empires.
And in this chapter, we're not going to read it. There's not time for it.
God comes down.
And here is Nebuchadnezzar, the first of the gentile powers.
And he becomes boastful.
And he says, is not this great Babylon which I have built?
Well, he is humbled.
So the great tree that flourished at first in Babylon in Nebuchadnezzar was cut down.
But a branch sprung out of its roots, and God goes on and bears with the Gentiles.
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He's still bearing with the Gentiles, and what does he think?
Money seized the wars that have taken place.
This year.
The dreadful killings.
According to data.
There have been more people killed violently in this century.
Far more than any other century, Probably far more than any.
Two or three or four centuries, The earth is filled up with violence and corruption again.
And God is still bearing with man on the earth.
And drawing a people out of the earth saved by grace through faith.
Brought into now the Church of God.
But the Gentiles have not glorified God.
And they're warned. I believe it's the 11Th of Romans.
And because they hadn't continued in his goodness.
He won't spare them. It's going to be cut down.
But it's still going on and it will go on the times of the Gentiles.
Until the revived Roman Empire, which may be in the forming, gets.
A place on the earth, and the great man, the imperial beast rises up.
And the height of iniquity reaches its peak, and then Christ comes.
And cuts it down in the second chapter of Daniel.
The prophecy is of an image with a head of gold.
And arms, and a chest of silver, and a torso of brass, and legs of iron, and feet of partly iron and clay.
An accurate description of the great powers of the Gentiles, beginning with the head of gold, the most valuable, which got its power from God.
Terminating at the base.
But the feet and the toes of part of iron, part of clay.
And they don't mix. So it says there that it's partly strong.
And partly broken, and they mingle themselves with the seed of men.
Now that is particularly what we are seeing.
Now in the rise of democracy.
That's the last form of the power of the Gentiles.
Before they get there, Imperial Beast.
And oh, the interest of events last week in Russia.
And earlier in Poland.
In Romania, In Serbia, Croatia.
Eastern Europe.
The springing up the formation of.
One nation after another, nation based upon man's thought. A man ruling man. Now that's coming up from below. It doesn't have the power of when it came down from the head from God himself, but it does have power. It's partly strong and partly broken.
But there are the watchers, and there are the holy ones.
Now these that we believe are the angels.
Hold this place again and turn to Hebrews Chapter 2.
Just to bring out from scripture.
A truth, I believe, which agrees with what we're trying to find here in Daniel 4.
Hebrews 2.
5 Hebrews 2/5 On to the angels.
Hath he not put in subjection the world to come?
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Whereof we speak.
You see, God is the watcher. He sees what's going on in the Gentile powers.
And he has sent and is sending and controlling by angelic power, the thinking of men's minds. Nobody knows exactly what happened in the Kremlin last week.
But it was amazing.
Or was it? I think it was angels holding back.
A rupture of bloodshed?
In order to let democracy come up in that land.
Well, that's my thought about it at any rate. What we're trying to bring out is God is watching and He's in full control of all the nations, this nation, every nation. He is sovereign, and he has myriads of angels that do his bidding. One beautiful thing is that in Hebrews, those angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who are shall be heirs of salvation. I'm one of them.
You're one of them. When you believe in the Lord Jesus, there are angels looking at us right now.
They learn in the church the manifold wisdom of God.
Well, perhaps we've built long enough on the fact that God is watching and he's in full control of the powers that be. Aren't you thankful? Aren't you thankful you don't have to worry about what's going to happen? Our God, our Father, is in full control. He's working out his purposes and counsel. They will ripen fast. Now let's go to the Jews. Turn now to.
Isaiah Chapter 18.
We're going to read the fourth verse. It gets the thought of God observing.
And in particular, this nation, scattered and peeled and terrible from their beginning. Hitherto no warriors like the Jews. That's the description of the Jews in this chapter. A nation scattered and peeled.
And the people terrible from their beginning hitherto.
I'm reading in the second verse the middle part.
A nation meted out and trodden down. Whose land the rivers have spoiled but verse four we were going to read.
For so the Lord said unto me.
I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. Now to just tell you bleakly what we have learned from Bible expositors who lived over 100 years ago, have told us this chapter.
Is what it reveals. I'll name two of them, FG Patterson and JN Darby. They gave a wonderful exposition of what this chapter meant and what it referred to was the return.
Of a nation of Israel.
In advance.
Of the tribulation period.
And they have gone there now.
FG Patterson and Jay and Darby died in the last century. What they wrote has largely been fulfilled in the lifetime of many of us here about the return.
A sample of that nation of Israel even called Israel.
And what is our verse saying?
The Lord said.
Unto me I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place.
I will regard my set dwelling, says the margin.
This picture is the same, it's the observer.
It's the Lord on high, considering watching, seeing what is happening, you may say, arranging it too, for they must come back.
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In order to suffer for what they did to their Messiah, that is the 2 tribes. There's enough of them there.
I would say there's far too many because they have come back to soon.
They have come back for judgment and God is just as we're saying.
I'm just going to rest up here and look and see what's going on down there in Israel with those Jews.
He knows what it is.
Now that word watcher.
I think in a sense you and I have the privilege and I think some responsibility to have the mind of Christ about these things that God brings about as to the Gentiles.
As to the Jews, and certainly as to the Church of God.
In which we are as baptized.
By that Holy Spirit into that one body.
And we find out.
That we are under observation too.
But I think it's immensely interesting.
That God is saying here in this chapter, well, there's a there's a remnant of the two tribes back there, and they're forming up their own nation, and they're making their plans and they're trying to get peace.
I think it's notable. In the past two weeks I have heard almost nothing about the Jews.
And Israel. And Shamir. And Assad. And even Saddam Hussein.
The Russian thing has put it out of people's minds. They're more occupied with going up there, but it is the hot spot and they are there and they're not going to have peace.
Notice what the next verse says here, the fifth verse for a for the harvest. When the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flour, he shall both cut off the springs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches, and they shall be left together under the fowls of the mountains and to the beasts of the earth. And the fowls shall summer upon them.
And all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon. This is the judgment. This is what is going to happen to that land of Israel.
Judgment. God is not in it. They are not recognizing the one they.
Crucified did away with they want peace, they cannot have it. The observers on high resting and waiting. He doesn't want to bring this judgment in, but it is coming.
For our own information, let's turn to Isaiah chapter 24. I mean Matthew chapter 24, because we have said that I believe for us.
Daniel was one of the remnant. There were three others that we know about.
In the land of captivity. And it was to them that the Watcher.
Made known all this wonderful prophecy.
Oh, to think of what Daniel learned.
Far above, anyone else on the face of the earth knew at that time as to God's purposes and counsels, and the reason God gave it to him.
Was that he was reading the word of God and he was praying.
And he was submitting.
To everything that God had brought upon them, and praying and confessing his sins, the sins of the nation, like they were his. So God comes down and makes known. Now you and I ought to have the mind of Christ as to what is going on now as to the Gentiles, as to the powers that be without any trouble in our mind about it, God is taking care of the whole thing.
As to the nation of Israel.
What's going to happen to them?
If we would finish that chapter, Isaiah, we'd find that the Millennium does come.
If we look back in Daniel again, which we won't, the Kingdom will be set up.
Christ's Kingdom will come. We sang about it in our first hymn. Today the Millennium is coming.
But oh, the judgments that come before that. Well, in the 24th of of Matthew there is something that's said here that I think applies to us the verse 32 and it relates to what we have read in Isaiah 18, Matthew 24.
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And verse 32. Now learn a parable of the fig tree.
This is a well known symbol of Israel as a nation.
So the words now learn.
Are for the living, and it's for us that the living may know that the most high rules in the Kingdom men, and he rules amongst the Jews. And Christ is a son over his own house too, isn't he?
Now learn a parable of the fig tree when his branch is yet tender and putting forth leaves. Ye know that summer is nigh like language.
The powers of the mountain shall summer upon them, and winter upon them.
Summer is night.
So likewise ye, when you shall see these things, know that is near even at the doors.
So this is for us to be a watcher, an observer, to have the mind of Christ as far as we can get it out of the Word of God, as to events that God has made known as to these three groups in particular, the Gentiles, the Jews, and the Church of God.
For the next 15 minutes, I think we should spend it on ourselves in the Church of God. Turn to Revelation, chapter one.
There's an observer there. Oh, this gets very precious and very sound.
Could we take the attitude of Daniel and confess our sins, our failure, our ruin and get the blessing? I think so.
But at any rate, what we have got.
In Revelation 1-2 and three.
Is Christ as judge looking down?
At us in this age.
Of the church and telling us what he sees.
And as far as I can get out of it, there's only one direct.
Word of exhortation to me.
And it's this he that hath an ear. Let him hear What the Spirit.
Saith unto the churches, And then we can learn and know a few things about it.
But it's absolute. This is what he sees.
The watcher came down and saw Nebuchadnezzar, that Great Creek cut it down.
The observer, the one who considered.
Sees Israel over there going back to the sight of their.
Cut it down. It's going to happen all right in Revelation One, just to get the picture of our blessed Lord.
There is grace in the beginning of Revelation. There is grace at the end of it.
But we want to get the responsible side for ourselves.
Verse 9.
I John who also.
I am your brother and companion in tribulation in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.
Was in the aisle that is called Patmos where the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus.
I was in the spirit on the Lord's day.
The Lord's Day one time in Scripture.
Do we reverence the Lord's day?
John was in the spirit on the Lord's day.
And heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet, saying I am alpha and Omega.
The first and last letters of the alphabet, I believe so he says. The 1St and the last.
What thou seest write in a book a command to write these things in a book.
And send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia.
It was written and sent to these seven churches. They're listed.
Verse 12.
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I turn to see the voice that spake with me, and being turned, I saw seven.
Golden candlesticks and in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like under the Son of Man.
I think of a question the Lord asks back in Luke's Gospel. I can't tell you.
For sure the chapter 18. Maybe When the Son of Man cometh, will he find faith on the earth. When the Son of Man cometh, will he find faith on the earth?
Well, we know it's coming for us.
As our Lord and Savior.
Then he's coming back as the Son of Man.
Here he takes the title The Son of Man, unlike the Son of Man clothed with a garment down through the foot.
And gird about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, And his eyes were as a flame of fire in his feet like a defined brass as they burned in a furnace, And his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars And out of the mouth Out of his mouth went a sharp 2 edged sword, And in his countenance and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength when I saw him.
I fell at his feet as dead he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me.
Fear not, I am the 1St and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell and of death.
Write the things which thou hast seen.
And the things which are and the things which shall be after.
The mystery of the Seven Stars, which thou sawest my right hand.
And the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels.
Of the seven churches.
The seven candlesticks were outsourced are the seven churches.
Under the Angel of the church at Ephesus rite we come down that far.
And we find this writing was put together and it was sent.
And especially it was for the observance of the angels of the seven churches. Now I think the word Angel here is really messenger.
Someone who is responsible.
So on that basis.
I would say that all of us fit here as a messenger to receive the message.
Than the one who's looking down and telling us this.
Is what I see.
Well, we haven't time to take up the seven churches at home.
We believe the first three as to a prophetic or historic side of things, which is surely there are passed away.
And that the last four are with us and we'll be here until.
The Lord come.
And certainly that time of his coming is very near.
There's nothing in here.
That would make any person boastful at all.
There is failure with the first one. Thou hast left.
Thy first love. Have you ever done that?
Have you ever turned your back on the Lord?
I'm afraid we'd have to say yes.
Well, we can be recovered.
And turn our face toward him.
Now we have noticed.
That the Gentile powers.
End up in judgment.
The Lord is going to come and cleanse the earth.
That stone cut out of the mountain without hands strikes the image on the feet, and the whole thing topples, and then that Kingdom grows and fills the earth, the blessed Kingdom.
Of the King, the Messiah.
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The king who will reign in righteousness.
And his Prince's rule and equity that is coming.
Now the Jews.
What they are trying to do now is going to come down, it's going to come to north.
And then?
God will send his messengers out and gather in.
The spared of the nations as well as Israel.
And the 12 tribes will be brought.
And the messengers from the 2 tribes that preach the gospel, the Kingdom at the end of the seven years.
Go out and bring them in mighty power of God that does it in a short time.
And when the 10 comes in, the 10 tribes that are lost and nobody knows where they are.
You can speculate all day and you don't know where they are. They're going to say what are these wounds in thy hands.
The answer is those with which I was wounded in the House of my friends, the two tribes nailing them, the Messiah on the cross.
And then?
They will be brought into the blessing, purified.
Judged in the wilderness, chastise the 10 and brought into the millennial Kingdom.
And blessing.
Now, in the history of these seven churches, we come down to the last one.
And there is a warning. Maybe we should read it Chapter 3.
We're coming down to the end of our time. We want to get this much.
Verse 14 Under the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write these things, saith thee. Amen.
The faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God.
I know thy works, I think this is said about every one.
And thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou Wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art Luke warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
Now that's what.
The Son of Man says about the seven churches.
And if we take up or, you'd take up and read. Let's turn.
Another verse before we stop in the 17th chapter. I think it is.
So that we get a present exhortation to help us.
No, it's the 18th chapter.
The 18th chapter. This is a present day exhortation.
Not a prophetic thing. It's a present day exhortation for those who are reading the book.
And know the mind of the Watcher as he reveals it in the book as to what's happening in the seven churches.
And is Christendom at large, which is still going on and something that can still be done?
Verse 4.
Revelation 18. Four I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that she be not partaker of her sins that you receive, not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities, reward her even as she rewarded you, and double under her double according to her works in the cup that she has filled.
Filled to the double, we won't read anymore.
We won't be here for this when it happens. This is what's leftover.
Of Christendom. After all its reels taken out of it and brethren, it could be today that every real believer will be taken literally out of the world.
And then all that would be left is empty profession.
And the one who's looking down says this is what I see.
Oh, the ruin of the church, professedly, is the worst of all.
She gets the worst judgment.
Let us today not be associated with any kind of.
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Empty profession, any names and brethren, I would say.
Anyone else?
Than the person of Christ, and being gathered to the name of the Lord.
Jesus Christ, Let's sing number 93 in closing.