War of the Wise Part 1: full transcript and answers

▶ 0:01 It’s a war between the occult and intellectual versus four young Hebrew Jews. Now, you must remember that God’s people have lost their jobs. They’ve lost the war. They’ve been taken captive to a foreign land. Those that left behind are starving, have diseases. Things are not looking too good for the people of God. They’re heavily taxed.

▶ 1:00 Their possessions have been taken away as a spoil by the Babylonian army. Their temple has been desecrated. It looks like God does not have any power, the God of the Jews, to perform his promise to his people. It looks like it does not pay to serve God. It looks as if it’s all over for the nation of Israel and the Jewish religion. But God said that he would correct his people for sinning and Israel went into captivity because most of them, the majority, were sinning, disobeying God, violating scripture.

▶ 1:53 And God said he would confront the unbeliever for their sins, the very people he uses to correct his people, he will confront and correct them. Now, this is the season we are in in America. It looks as though the church in America is losing the war of righteousness. Jesus is being put down and desecrated all the time and comedian by comedians and atheists and actors and everybody else. The Bible is being undermined and laughed at. And if we can watch what God does in the midst of this condition in Daniel, we will know what God can do in the future of America.

▶ 2:50 Hallelujah. So, here we are. We have this condition. Now, watch what God does. You see, now people are proclaiming that God’s not involved in the affairs of mankind. Just like they’re saying today in America. But suddenly, God starts turning things around. And he starts by giving King Nebuchadnezzar a troubled dream that he cannot even remember the dream. But he orders all the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans. The Chaldeans were the noted for being the wisest in that generation. He says, “You guys, you tell me my dream.” And they said, “Well, you tell us the dream and we’ll tell you the interpretation.” He said, “Uh-uh, I don’t remember the dream, but I want to know.” And he says, “You guys are going to die because you’re lousy counselors.

▶ 3:57 You’re supposed to be the the counselors of a king and know everything and you can’t even tell me my dream, then you’re phonies, you’re all going to die.” Now, these astrologers, they describe things with the stars of heaven and how they line up. The positions of the planet in relation to the zodiac and people do that today. Necromancers, magicians, they talk with the spirits of the dead to get future information and predictions. The sorcerers, the witchcraft people, they cast spells and use enchantments and some of them can be demonic. Demonically influenced.

▶ 4:49 And then of course the Chaldeans are the intellectuals, the secular intellectuals of the day. And so, God, or not God, but the King Nebuchadnezzar, he includes Daniel and the three Hebrew children in this death sentence because they had become part of the king’s counselors, the king’s leaders in chapter 1. And so these four men are also appointed to die. But the Chaldeans, these intellectual people, admit one thing. They admit that no one can do what the king ask, interpreting a dream without being told the dream, except the gods whose dwelling is not with men.

▶ 5:44 See, they’re acknowledging that there is a God in heaven, there is a supernatural God. And that’s the only God. And here you have your first acknowledgement. They’re agreeing that no idol God. You know, no occult people, none of these other people can do such things. They’re are admitting that none of the astrologers, the magicians, and all that can’t do this. Hallelujah. Spirit, that’s powerful. That is powerful. And somewhere all of our opponents are going to admit that it’s going to take a God who created everything, a God in heaven to solve our problems. Now, in Daniel chapter 2 verse 18, Daniel and his companions seek the mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret.

▶ 6:42 Daniel went to the king and he says, “King, give me a little time and I’ll tell you the interpretation.” Boy, that’s confidence. You know, that’s not possibility thinking, that’s not positive thinking, that’s confidence in a God that will protect them and will give them answers in their prayers. And folks, that’s one of the main things that should happen in a church like we had this morning. We should have a time of prayer to seek the mercies of the God of heaven. Come to his throne of grace that we might obtain mercy to help us in the time of our trouble. The our house The God’s house is to be called a house of prayer. But we can’t just stop at prayer. There’s got to be action. There’s got to be right action. And so then, sure enough, God comes to Daniel in the night and gives him a vision and reveals to Daniel the dream and gives him the interpretation, verse 19.

▶ 7:46 In verse 23, he blesses, he thanks, and he praises God. Now, as we go on through Daniel, you’re going to know this was what Daniel did all the time. See, Daniel studied the scriptures, Daniel prayed, Daniel praised, Daniel worshipped God. This wasn’t new to Daniel. He did what he always did. Are you there, church? And these things should be going on in every church service. And also, look at this Revelation that Daniel got outside the dream when he got Revelation of the dream. Look at this. Number one, verse 20 through 21, Daniel says, “Wisdom and might are his.” Wisdom and might, strength, belong to God. If you want wisdom and you want to be strong emotionally, strong mentally, strong spiritually, you’ve got to go to him to get it.

▶ 8:48 Isn’t that good? You’re not going to get it at the universities. You’re not going to get it in high school. You’re going to get it from him and his word. Powerful. Uh number two, he changes times and seasons. See, Daniel is saying it was God who brought Nebuchadnezzar down to overthrow Jehoiakim, the king of Judah. It was God. It was that season. It was that time. God came and corrected his people for sinning like he said he would do. He told Moses that his people would sin and they would go into captivity. That’s what he That’s the song of Moses. Hallelujah. So, it’s important that we recognize what?

▶ 9:38 Times and seasons. See, churches will go through times and seasons. There always won’t be a harvest season in a church group. There’ll be the winter seasons where the roots go down and you get strong in your God. And then when the spring comes up the the the branches grow out more and the tree goes higher, but the roots have to first grow to support the growth in the spring. Do you understand that? And a lot of Christians can’t handle the winter season. They can’t handle the dry season in the summer before the harvest. They always want to be in the spring or in the harvest. Are you there? But you got to have it all. And Daniel’s Revelation is God changes times and seasons. You hang in there. Number three, he removes and raises up kings.

▶ 10:35 He said it was God that brought Nebuchadnezzar down. It’s God that put Obama as president. Some of you looking at me strange. You know, he gives us the leaders that we are living like. Hallelujah. See, God does things to correct us and then we complain about it. Hey, God gave us the Congress that we got up there. If we want to change, where does change start? With us, yeah. If my people will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn, repent from their wicked ways, then I’ll hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land. See.

▶ 11:30 But see, the American church right now only wants to pray and believe. They they like grace and faith, and when they have to, they’ll pray. But, see, God’s bringing us to a place of correction. And we got to become the real church. Get He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. Isn’t that powerful? You want knowledge and understanding, you got to go to God, you got to go to the scriptures. You can’t learn this stuff in the universities or on the 6:00 news. We listen to the 6:00 news and we think we have the answers for the world. Daniel got the answer for the world by going to God. Are you there, church? And Daniel was young. Daniel IS NOT AN OLD MAN.

▶ 12:21 He’s a teenager. A couple of years may have gone by. He may be in his early 20s. Daniel is a young guy. Him and his friends are young. You don’t have to wait till you’re gray-headed like me to get your act together. And Daniel in verse 27 says to the king, “The wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot show this secret to the king.” Daniel just flat-out tells him, “Those counselor you you got are worthless. They have no spiritual wisdom at all.” How many of we need somebody like that in America to confront Congress and tell them exactly how it is? And the church world.

▶ 13:17 You know, our churches have really gone downhill. Ministers are believing the lie and the delusions. And somebody We need a voice to stand up and get this thing turned around. How many of you raise your hand and God, I recognize that. Yes. And don’t ever think that a small group can’t do anything. Remember, he’s only using four guys here. Don’t ever think that a small Bible study or small church doesn’t have any impact. You never know what God can do. The Bible says he can save by many or can save by few. I don’t care what it is as long as he’s saving. Amen. But there’s a God in heaven. Now, Daniel confirms what the Chaldeans said. There’s a God in heaven that reveals secrets and makes known to Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days, in the future.

▶ 14:14 What shall be, what shall come to pass. Oh, this dream is about the future. This dream is about the latter days. This dream is about what’s going to come to pass. Now church, this separates our God from all the so-called God. There’s only one This is why there’s one God. God is the only one that can tell the future before it happens and it happens. And he goes on to say this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but that you might know the thoughts of your heart. Daniel is taking no credit.

▶ 15:09 You know, so many Christians want a pat on the back. They want to be acknowledged as being, you know, some kind of great spiritual person or knowledge or what. Daniel says, “Hey, I want you to know that I am no special person. God is just doing this because he wants the future to be known. Isn’t that a good attitude? Don’t we need more of that attitude in ministry and in the pew? Yeah. Powerful. Now, you must understand. Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord God does nothing but he reveals his secret unto his servants the prophets.” Did you hear that?

▶ 16:01 God does what? Nothing. Until he first speaks to his servants the prophets. We have it in the garden when God himself spoke to Adam and said, “You’ll die if you eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” When he spoke to Adam and Eve and said, “Jesus, the seed of the woman is going to destroy Satan’s seed.” Right at the beginning he said this. That Jesus was his plan A and always has been his plan A Noah told the world there was a flood coming 100 years before it came. Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah that God would save the city if there was 10 righteous.

▶ 16:55 Moses told Israel they would go into captivity for sinning hundreds of years before they did. John the Baptist spoke to repent and be water baptized. Nowhere in the scriptures do you find that message. To repent and be water baptized for the cleansing of sin. John the Baptist brought it and John also said, “I’m the forerunner of Christ, he that comes after me is the guy that will cleanse the sins of the world. He will be the king of Israel. He will be the king of the kingdom of God.” You see, God always used a prophet. Jesus himself said he’s going to die and rise again on the third day. Jesus himself said that Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed.

▶ 17:47 Jesus himself said that his people could be baptized in the Holy Spirit, spirit of power, baptism of power. Jesus himself said that he would return a second time. And so we find it’s true. Amen, church. Now, if God does that, is he going to do it in our generation? Yes. Yes. And every one of these had a sign. A supernatural sign that showed God was involved. Okay? Noah had his boat. John the Baptist was born of a woman that couldn’t birth kids. Jesus was born of a virgin, and I can go on down the line.

▶ 18:41 We will know one way or another, positively that we’re hearing the voice of God, not these people prophesying and things aren’t happening, they’re just making it up. But with every good prophetic word of the future, there is an un- excusable sign that God is talking. Now, verse 31. You, oh king, saw a great image whose brightness was excellent and the form terrible. Now he’s telling them what he dreamed. This image’s head was of fine gold.

▶ 19:33 The breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, the legs of iron and the feet part iron and part clay. This is what you saw, oh king. And then you saw a stone cut out without hands that smote the image’s feet and break them to pieces and the kingdoms before to pieces. This is what you saw. Now I want to show you how difficult it is for you to go with your human brain and interpret prophecies in the Bible. Now let’s go back to Daniel’s day. We don’t know the future yet.

▶ 20:25 What’s this head of gold mean? What’s this breast and arms of silver mean? We go to the scriptures and we find in the Song of Solomon that the beloved’s head is of most fine gold. Oh, the gold represents Jesus. But in Exodus 20, you shall not make gods of gold and the silver. Oh, the gold and silver represents the idols of the nations. The idols of God’s people. Oh, Proverbs 12:6, the words of the Lord are pure words as silver as tried in the furnace. Proverbs 2:4, if you seek knowledge and understanding as silver. Oh, gosh. It’s not idols.

▶ 21:18 It’s knowledge and understanding. God’s going to bring knowledge and understanding. Are you following me? Not easy to interpret these things. Not easy at all. Leviticus 26:19, I will break the pride of your power. I will make your heaven as iron and your earth as brass. Oh, the iron is our pride. God’s going to break it. Yeah. Deuteronomy 4:20. Here’s another group. No, it’s not that. Deuteronomy 4:20 says God brought us out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt. This is Egypt. AND GOD’S GOING TO SMITE Egypt. OH, NO, another group says Deuteronomy 28:48, God shall put a yoke of iron upon our necks until he has destroyed us.

▶ 22:18 You will break the nations with a rod of iron and dash them into pieces like a potter’s vessel. Oh man, that’s what it is. Do you understand believers that it’s not easy to go when you’re not on the other side and it’s already been revealed it’s not easy to go and interpret prophecies in the Bible? And yet we have so many people today proclaiming that they got the answer. But Daniel goes on to say, the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and gold was broken to pieces together and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floor. And the wind carried them away, and there was no place found for them. The stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Now, there’s the dream. Now, watch the interpretations, nothing like you could find in the scriptures anywhere.