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In our first two studies we concentrated upon the importance of prophecy and the role it plays in the life of the believer. We also noted the central location of prophetic events in Holy Scripture — the areas around the Mediterranean Sea and in particular that land that the Lord is pleased to call “my land”, (2 Chronicles 7:19, Isaiah 14:25 etc). In our third article, we went a little further and began to note the details of the prophecies given in these two chapters.

In this our fourth study, I would like to come to some more of the details given in these two visions granted to Daniel. The first vision, recorded in chapter 7, which centres upon the emergence of the four great kingdoms (verse 17) which “arise out of the earth”, will be our focus in this study.

The word translated ‘earth’ may be seen to be used in a context which clearly indicates that it is not a reference to the whole surface of the earth. In Daniel 2:39, there is a reference to the ‘third’ great kingdom, the Grecian empire.

“And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.” Now the Grecian empire did not rule over all the lands of the earth, so we can see that the word ‘earth’ here is used in a limited fashion. I believe that it refers to the ‘prophetic’ earth, the territories dominated by the four great kingdoms of holy Scripture which owe their mention in the Bible to the fact that they ‘interacted’ with the people and land of Israel, God’s land and people!

The fourth ‘beast’, or kingdom, is described as being “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly”, verse 7. That kingdom is the ‘Roman Empire’!

I. I MUST STRESS THAT THE FOURTH KINGDOM, THOUGH EMERGING LONG AGO, AROUND 2171 YEARS AGO, AFTER THE FALL OF THE GRECIAN EMPIRE, WILL STILL BE IN EXISTENCE WHEN CHRIST RETURNS!

That is made very plain in Daniel 2:44. “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”

The kingdom that the Lord will set up is inaugurated at His return. That is made plain in Revelation 11:15. “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (more…)

“‭Praise‭‭ him, ye heavens‭ of heavens‭, and ye waters‭ that ‭be‭ above the heavens‭.‭ ‭Let them praise‭‭ the name‭ of the LORD‭: for he commanded‭‭, and they were created‭‭.‭ ‭He hath also stablished‭‭ them for ever‭ and ever‭: he hath made‭‭ a decree‭ which shall not pass‭‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Psalm 148:4-6.

I will quote but one of a great variety of headlines setting forth unconverted man’s baseless conjecture regarding the future of our planet and the cosmos.

‘The Four Ways The Earth Will Actually End’

I will not give the ‘link’ to this stupid article, for I would not encourage any to read such idle buffoonery!

The truth of the matter is that men, observing the signs of decay and decline in the environment of the earth, have in their folly, drawn conclusions that are contrary to the plain statements of Holy Scripture.

These conclusions also run contrary to the dominant concept of modern biology — EVOLUTION!

Charles Darwin, ‘the patron saint’ of Evolution, has misled the world, aided by a multitude of like-deluded ‘eejits’, into believing that by a process that cannot be observed, and therefore is unscientific, life on earth began as a mere single cell which ‘evolved’ through millions of years, until, MAN appeared. Evolution claims that he ‘appeared’, only after passing through many stages of ‘development’ which included a time in which our ‘ancestors’ swung about in the branches of trees, having first of all spent ages crawling on our bellies as an unspecified assortment of ‘creepy-crawlies’!

So, we are told, humanity evolved!

Considering the behaviour of many today, you could be forgiven for considering that the genes of a monkey are indeed to be found in mankind’s DNA!

However, despite their belief in Evolution, the ‘wise and the learned’ today see the opposite process at work and conclude that the earth will one day cease to be, destroyed as a result of man’s abuse of the constituent elements of the earth.

We are told that the fears of today’s ‘environmentalists’ are rooted in the ‘accelerating effects of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and the potential consequences for human societies and ecosystems.’

There is indeed abundant evidence of man’s abuse of creation, brought about by his greed and indifference to the consequences of his actions.

HOWEVER, while decay is evident, that does not mean that it is a FATAL process!

The past and the future of the earth, the sun, the moon and the stars are declared for us in God’s Word.

I. CREATION HAD ITS ORIGINS IN THE SIX CREATIVE ACTS OF GOD, SOME 6000 YEARS AGO. 

“‭In the beginning‭ God‭ created‭‭‭ the heaven‭ and‭ the earth‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬Genesis 1:1.

“‭For ‭in‭ six‭ days‭ the LORD‭ made‭‭ heaven‭ and earth‭, the sea‭, and all that in them ‭is‭, and rested‭‭ the seventh‭ day‭: wherefore the LORD‭ blessed‭‭ the sabbath‭ day‭, and hallowed‭‭ it,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Exodus 20:11. (more…)