![[ Inline Church Graphic ]](../../images/church.jpg)
Daniel 4:17
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.
This small portion of scripture is where Nebuchadnezzar dreams of his future and spending seven years in the wilderness eating grass with the oxen. This is where the watchers declare that the world is ruled by the basest of men. Have you ever wondered why the world is ruled by not the brightest and most intelligent men and women, but by the most ruthless and vile. The world is ruled by the basest of men! Take a look at the past presidents of the United States.
Look at this listing of the presidents and who controlled them, or the policies that they implemented. The American people refuse to elect a righteous man to the presidency, but they choose the one with the nicest smile, and the most financial backing. Just recently there was a highly intelligent man running in the Republican primary who was able to debate any of the challengers. He had the best programs, and the ability to debate the issues. Anyone who heard Alan Keys in the New Hampshire debates knew that he was probably the best man to be president. But, now you don't hear anything about Alan Keys, and the American people are going to choose between the lesser of two evils!
Nebuchadnezzar's dream told of the watchers in heaven telling the world that the basest of men will become the worlds rulers.
Daniel 41-37
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.
The above chapter tells us that there are watchers in heaven who watching over the affairs of the world. Also they do the work of the most high making sure his divine will is implemented on the earth. Also, take a look at how the world ``feels'' about Clinton. Don't they say that he is a good president? Don't they say that he is for women's rights? How is it possible for one to endorse pornography and female slavery be for women's rights? A Wall Street Journal editorial http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/catw/shrug.htm talks about Clinton's endorsement of hard core pornography and female slavery! I chose this site rather than the WSJ because the WSJ is not a free site. Here is some of the article:
First some background. It's been estimated that each year some two million women and children world-wide are sent into lives of sexual bondage, usually as prostitutes. "Over the last 10 years, the numbers of women and children that have been trafficked have multiplied so that they are now on par with estimates of the numbers of Africans who were enslaved in the 16th and 17th centuries," according to Laura J. Leader of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. What we are dealing with, then, is a huge number of human-rights violations.
Yet in Vienna a week from today--when the U.N. Convention on Translational Organized Crime votes on its protocol to combat international trafficking in women and children--White House representatives will take the first step toward legitimizing the sexual-trafficking business. Negotiations on this Vienna Protocol have been going on for the past year and a half. Since December, however, the White House delegation has worked to narrow the definition of sexual trafficking, in a way that would allow certain prostitution rings to flourish. It has done so despite the objections of a majority of the G-77 countries and other developing nations, whose women are the principal victims of sex trafficking.
Another article titled Bill Clinton and the Corruption of the American Republic http://www.ashbrook.org/publicat/oped/owens-clinton2.html questions the moral decay of America as influenced by Bill Clinton concludes with:
But the consequences of the corruption of the Democratic Party pale in comparison to those of the corruption of the public at large. If Americans ever come to accept the argument that the "people's business" has nothing to do with the rule of law and our fundamental equality before it, and that presidents should be held to a different standard than other citizens because the economy is doing well, it will signify nothing less than that the idiots, the intemperate, licentious individual who cares for nothing but his private pleasures, has replaced the citizen; that we have descended into what Tocqueville called "soft despotism; " and that republican government has reached a sad end.
Now my dear reader you may be questioning the wisdom of the sovereign Saviour allowing the basest and most vile men to rule the world. But the majority of the world desire and defend the ways of the wicked. They want a leader who will promote pornography and the deepest degradation that humanity can sink to. They want a world leader who has zero morals who will allow all lasciviousness to thrive. The Lord is in reality giving the world exactly what they want.
1 Samuel 8:1-7
1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.
3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
The people of Israel refused the reign of the Lord over them just like the people of America have rejected the rule of the Lord over them. So since all of the nations of the world have rejected the authority of the Lord, then the Lord has given them what they wanted. Also, in the New Testament there is a reference that tells us that Satan has the authority over all of the kingdoms of the world.
Matthew 4:8-10
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Is it any wonder that basest of men rule the world? Satan has the rule over all of the nations of the earth and none of the nations want to be ruled by the Lord Jesus. Everyone has chosen to be dominated by Satan and his henchmen. Not one has accepted the rule of the Lord or Christ. All have gone astray rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ. So is it any wonder that the nations of the world get what they want? Is it any wonder that they have chosen the basest of men to rule over them? The citizens of the United States have chosen the basest of men to rule over them because they have rejected the rule of the Lord.
3014 E Street Philadelphia, PA 19134 Church Office Phone: (215) 634-3637 Published by: Rev. LeRoy D. Cressy (215) 535-4037
Services:
Sunday School . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10:30 AM
Sunday Morning Worship . . . . . . . . . . 12 NOON
Sunday Evening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:30 PM
Wednesday Evening . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:30 PM
Copyright © 2000 LeRoy D. Cressy
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
transcript as long as the copyright and this
permission notice appear.