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Vol. II Number 36 September 20, 1998
Through the Bible there is ample proof the Jesus truly is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In the world today there is turmoil and disruption throughout the land. Bill Clinton is watching his presidency fall apart and there is nothing that he can do or say to stop it. He has tried showing an outward form of repentance, but at the same time he is arguing whether oral sex is sex. His life is a duplicity of contradictions that is causing the charade to crumble.
But it is the Lord who sets up kings and overthrows them. It is the Lord that controls who will be a king and ruler, and not the kings own ability. There are two instances in Daniel that show this plainly.
Daniel 4:1-37
1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that
dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
2 I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath
wrought toward me.
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 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace:
5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the
visions of my head troubled me.
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.
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.
8 But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar,
according to the name of my God, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods:
and before him I told the dream, saying,
9 O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of
the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of
my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.
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.
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:
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.
13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an
holy one came down from heaven;
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:
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:
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.
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.
18 This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar,
declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom
are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for
the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
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.
20 The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height
reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;
21 Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for
all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the
fowls of the heaven had their habitation:
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.
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, 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 of the field, till seven times pass over him;
24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most
High, which is come upon my lord the king:
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.
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.
27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off
thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor;
if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of
Babylon.
30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for
the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my
majesty?
31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven,
saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed
from thee.
32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the
beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times
shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom
of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was
driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew
of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like
birds' claws.
34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto
heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High,
and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an
everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth
according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the
earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my
kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my
lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent
majesty was added unto me.
37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all
whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he
is able to abase.
Daniel 5:1-31
1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and
drank wine before the thousand.
2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and
silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple
which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his
concubines, might drink therein.
3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of
the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his
wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of
iron, of wood, and of stone.
5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against
the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the
king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so
that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against
another.
7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the
soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever
shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be
clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the
third ruler in the kingdom.
8 Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing,
nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed
in him, and his lords were astonied.
10 Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into
the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not
thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and
in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom
of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the
king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans,
and soothsayers;
12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding,
interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of
doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now
let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.
13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said
unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity
of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and
that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15 And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me,
that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation
thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:
16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and
dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the
interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of
gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to
thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the
king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom,
and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages,
trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he
kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was
deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the
beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like
oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most
high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever
he will.
22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou
knewest all this;
23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have
brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy
wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the
gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor
hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy
ways, hast thou not glorified:
24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was
written.
25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy
kingdom, and finished it.
27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a
chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he
should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two
years old.
Both of the above examples show that the Lord sets up whom he pleases and deposes of whom he pleases. When a great leader puffs himself up where he feels that he is above the law, then that leader will be brought down. Time and time again throughout history there have been examples of men who thought that they were above God. They thought that it was their own power and intellect that was able to bring them to power. Look at the previous glory of the great nations in history.
All of the above became great powers only to find themselves to lose power and greatness. Some were conquered, and others just lost their might by living in sin and debauchery. This same decline and fall is what is happening to the United States today. We have a president who has lifted himself up above the precepts of God. We have a nation that has corrupted themselves with orgies and debauchery in the highest places. Even the ones investigating the President have be found in adultery. There is none righteous! All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Can you see the sudden destruction that can come upon the US based on the sudden destruction that came upon the others before?
The US is a fading flower, living on her previous glory. She is now a nation in decline for her sin has consumed her. She loves the pleasures of sin for a season, and has debased herself. The television and theater is full of adultery, sin and perversion. This nation cannot stand! This nation will be consumed as the others that come before!
Only a true repentance can save this nation! Only a removal of the icons of sin can save this nation. The television studios must remove the daily dose of adultery, fornication and sin that they put out on the air. The movie studios must do likewise. All of the politicians must put away their mistresses and seek repentance of the Lord. This nation must repent to the Lord if it wants to be saved from the coming destruction! The cup of the Lord's wrath is full! The day of repentance is at hand. The writing is on the wall just like in Belshazzar's day. We as a nation have been found wanting. We have waisted our resources. The day of the Lord is at hand!
3014 E Street Philadelphia, PA 19134 Church Office Phone: (215) 634-3637 Published by: Rev. LeRoy D. Cressy (215) 535-4037
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