The Choice Not to Choose Is A Choice.

 Created. Rebelled. Redeemed? 

Those who know the plan of redemption and accept the plan of redemption fully are changed and will live eternally. Those who are incapable through mental incapacities whatever form they may take, of course, will be granted life eternal automatically. If they are incapable of choosing, the choice is then made for them and they will take their innocence to eternity. If a person is capable of choosing they are expected to choose- one way or another. In fact, no one capable will escape the choosing. If they believe by not making a choice they are exempt they are sadly wrong. The choice not to choose is a choice to choose not to accept the redemption plan. 

The Bible gives us prophecies right from the start and that's what we are discussing in our recent studies. These prophecies begin with the first two human beings and continue on down to the Apostolic Age, when John, the Apostle of Jesus finished the very last book in the Bible, the Book of Revelations of Jesus Christ. These prophecies are for our learning, for our understanding.  A refusal to even consider looking into these prophecies is incredibly sad. Depriving yourself of knowledge is awful. 

Read, study, pray for understanding, seek the Lord's guidance, let the Holy Spirit give you understanding- it's eternally important. 

May God continue to bless us with truth and understanding so vital to our very existence now and eternally.

All through Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior, now and for eternity!

Amen!!!!!!!

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CHAPTER VII. THE KINGDOM AND THE KING

Continued..

This dream was given to Nebuchadnezzar by the Lord, for the express purpose of making known what shall be in the last days. Dan. 2:28. 

The king was reflecting upon the future, with a strong desire to look into its secrets; and the Lord caused him to understand according to his desire: The interpretation of this dream was given under very peculiar circumstances. The dream troubled the king, though he could not remember it. This resembled a freak of the mind with which we are all acquainted. We are often troubled or perplexed over our inability to call to mind that which seems so near to our remembrance, but still eludes its grasp. 

In this dilemma the king resorted to his wise men, many of whom professed knowledge which, if they had possessed it, should have served them in this emergency. He demanded that they should both tell him the dream, and give him the interpretation. Some have denounced this as a most unreasonable demand. But when we consider the pretensions of the astrologers and soothsayers, for such were some of them, we cannot call the demand unreasonable. They asked him to tell them the dream, promising then to give the interpretation. The king was apparently so disappointed in them, that he lost all confidence in their professions and promises. Perceiving the character of their pretensions to superior wisdom, he accused them of having " prepared lying and corrupt words;" for if he should tell them the dream, it would not require any great amount of ingenuity to invent some kind of interpretation. "Tell me the dream," said he, "and then I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof." Dan. 2:9. If they failed to do this, he decreed that they should all be put to death. The alternative was terrible, but they were compelled to confess that they could not do it; that it required a wisdom greater than was possessed by any that dwelt on the earth. There was no chance for them to practice their wonted deception; they well knew that they could not invent anything that the king would recognize as his dream.

Daniel and his brethren had not been directly appealed to by the king, but inasmuch as they were counted among the wise men of Babylon, the officer who was appointed to execute the king's decree sought them to put them to death. But Daniel desired time, which was granted, and the young captives betook themselves to prayer, and the Lord revealed to Daniel both the dream and its interpretation. This saved not only the lives of Daniel and his brethren, but of all the professedly wise men; for the matter being revealed, the king was content to let them all live.

The dream was related to the king in the following words:-- 

"Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his sides of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." Dan. :31-35.

The test that the king put upon the wise men was a severe one, but here it was perfectly met. How must the great king have been struck, as the young Hebrew captive--a mere boy--stood before him and declared to him his secret thoughts, and every particular of his dream, which he had forgotten. Now it all flashed clearly upon his mind; he knew that that was what he saw in his dream, and he had all confidence that this young captive was capable of giving him the correct interpretation.

But Daniel disclaimed having any wisdom to reveal the king's secret. He said also that neither astrologer, magician, nor soothsayer, could make it known. "But there is a God in Heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days." "But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart." Dan.2:28, 30. 

The margin of the English Version is here copied, it being the correct reading. Dr. Barnes says: "The margin is the more correct rendering, and should have been admitted into the text." The Revised Version has adopted it. The common English rendering of verse 30 is not only incorrect, but it does great injury to the prophecy as being a revelation from God of what shall be in the last days. The common reading implies that the matter was made known for the sake of those who should interpret it, which is altogether a wrong idea. It would effectually make it of private interpretation. Prophecy is not given to answer any personal ends. The whole matter, both the dream and the interpretation, was for the purpose of making known what shall be in the last days, and when the kingdom of Israel, that was being subverted, should be restored, and the throne and the crown given to him whose right it is. 

And being such, it was not for Nebuchadnezzar alone, nor for those of that age. It is the beginning of one of the most important chains of prophecy in all the Bible. All the circumstances give the most undoubted assurance that the Lord has therein made known to all his people what shall be in the last days. In examining the interpretation each particular will be noticed as we pass.

((We will continue tomorrow with the interpretation… God willing.))