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CHURCH
(Continued from page 3)
ernment. Daniel was a prophet who
had been given special understanding
in visions and dreams (Dan. 1: 17).
Nebuchadnezzar was tbe first real
world ruler. He had conquered a vast
empi re, including the nation Judah.
This Iáng had a dream so impressive
it troubled him- moved him to tre–
mendous concern. He demanded that
bis magicians, astrologers and sor–
cerers tell him both
what
he had
dreamed and what it meant. They
could not. They were baffied. Then
Daniel was brought before the king.
Daniel disclaimed any more hu–
man ability to interpret dreams than
the Chaldean magicians. " BuT," he
said, "there is a GOD in heaven that
revealeth secrets, and maketh known
to the Iáng Nebuchadnezzar what
shall be in the latter days ..." (Dan.
2:28).
First, God's purposewas to reveal to
this world-ruling human king that
there is a GoD in heaven; that GoD JS
SUPREME RuLER over all nations, gov–
ernments and kings; that God RULES
THE UNIVERSE-even though, during
the past 6,000 years, God has
a/lowed
nations generally to be left altogether
to thei r own devices. But God was
giving Nebuchadnezzar a special op–
portunity to accept His rule.
This Chaldean king knew only
about the many pagan demon gods.
He knew nothing of the true
living
ALMIGHTY God. Like people and rul–
ers, even today, he did not know that
GOD is the living, REAL, active, RUL–
ING and GOVERNING PERSONAGE
who actually and Iiterally
governs
not only what is on earth, but the
entire UNIVERSE!
The whole purpose of this DREAM
was to
revea/
GoD's GOVERNMENT:
thefact
that God RULES, the truth of
THE KINGDOM OF GOD-the very
thing that is the one and
only
true
GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST! And, sec–
ondly, to reveal- preserved in writ–
ing for us TODAv- what is to happen
"in the /atter
days"- probably with–
in the next two decades-this last
half of the twentieth century!
For Us Today
T his is no dry, dull , dead writing for
a people of 2,500 years ago. This is
40
living, tremendous, big news for our
day!
lt
is
advance news
for us,
now. News
before it happens-of
the most colossal event of all earth's
history.
Read, in your own Bible, Daniel 2,
verses 28 through 35. In bis dream,
this king had seen a stupendous sta–
tue--larger than any image or statue
ever built by man-so tremendous it
was terrifying, even in a dream. Its
head was of fine gold, its breast and
arms of si lver, the belly and thighs of
brass, legs of solid iron, feet and toes
a mixture of iron and clay.
There was a time element. Nebu–
chadnezzar had viewed it
until
a su–
pernatural STONE carne from heaven,
smashing the statue on its feet. Then
the whole of the statue broke into
small fragments and was actually
blown away by the wind-it disap–
peared! Then this STONE expanded
miraculously and quickly became a
great MOUNTAIN- SO great it filled
the whole earth!
What did it mean?
Did
it have
meaning? Yes, because this was
God's d o ing . Unlike ordinary
dreams, this one was caused by God
to convey the message of God's sover–
eignty to Nebuchadnezzar-and, be–
cause it is part of the written Word of
God to us today-to reveal important
facts of the TRUE GOSPEL!
"This is the dream," said Daniel
(verse 36), "and we will tell the inter–
pretation thereof before the king."
This, then, is GoD'S interpretation.
Men ought never to
interpret
the Bi–
ble. The Bible gives us GoD'S OWN
INTERPRETATION! Here it is (verse
37):
"Thou, O king, art a king of kings
[he was the first real WORLD RULER
over a world empire]: for the God of
heaven hath given thee a kingdom,
power, and strength, and glory." God
was revealing Himself to this human
world dictator as the MOST HJGH
Rul–
er over al/.
People today, like this Chaldean
Iáng, seem not to think of God as a
RULER-as the Supreme One who
GOVERNS-as the Head of GOVERN–
MENT. The Eterna! was revealing
Himself through Daniel to Nebu–
chadnezzar-and through the Bible
to you and tome
TODAv-as a sover–
eign, all-powerful, governing God
who is to be obeyed!
This knowledge is another PROOF
of the modern identity of God's
one
true Church!
"Thou," continued Daniel to this
human emperor, "art this head of
gold. And after thee shall arise an–
other KJNGDOM inferior to thee, and
anotber third KINGDOM of brass,
which shall bear rule over all the
earth" (verses 38-39).
What ls a Klngdom?
Notice! This is speaking of KING–
DOMS. It is referring to kingdoms
that
bear rule over the peop/e on earth.
It
is Spealáng of GOVERNMENTS! lt is
not spealáng of ethereal sentiments
"set up in the hearts of men."
It
is
not spealáng of churches. lt is speak–
ing of the Jánd of GOVERNMENTS that
bear RULE and AUTHORITY over na–
tions of PEOPLE here on earth. It is
literal. It is specific. There is no mis–
understanding here as to what is
meant by the word "KINGDOM."
There is no misunderstanding the
interpretation. GoD gives His own
interpretation through the prophet
Daniel. The great metallic image
represented national and internation–
al GOVERNMENTS-rea), litera)
KINGDOMS.
It represented a
succession
of
world-ruling governments. First was
the head of gold. That represented
Nebuchadnezzar and bis kingdom–
the Chaldean Empire.
After
him–
later in time sequence-was to come
a second, then a third, KINGDOM,
"which shall bear RULE over all the
earth"-wor/d
empire!
Then, verse 40, the legs of iron
represent a
fourth
world empire.
It
was to be
strong,
even as iron is
strong-stronger militarily than its
predecessors. Yet, as silver is less
valuable than gold, brass than silver,
iron than brass, though each metal
was harder and stronger, the succes–
sion would deteriorate morally and
spiritually. The two legs meant the
fourth empire would be divided.
After the Chaldean Empire carne
the still larger Persian Empire, then
the Greco-Macedonian and fou rth,
the Roman Empire.
It
was divided,
with capitals at Rome and Constanti–
nople.
Now-verse 44! Read it! Get your
Bible. See it with your own eyes in
your own Bible. Here, in PLAJN LAN–
GUAGE, is God's explanation of what
the KlNGDOM OF GoD IS:
The PLAIN TRUTH May 1979