Transcript Bible Prophecies and their fulfilment

Bible Prophecies and
their fulfilment
World history foretold in advance
• In the Bible, prophecy can take a number of
forms:
• Inspired utterances
• Short term prophecies – fulfilled in the prophet’s
lifetime
• Long term prophecies – extending from the prophets’
time, or later, and on into the future
• Prophecies can concern individuals, families or whole
nations
Bible Prophecy
Our subject tonight is:
World History Foretold in Advance
So we will concentrate on major national or
international prophecies.
• Here is a notable and well-known example…
Bible Prophecy
Fabled ancient Babylon
With its’ famous Ishtar Gate
Fantastic
hanging
gardens
Was to become a ruin!
Turn to Jeremiah 51:33-37;59-64
“Thus shall Babylon sink to rise no more”
The prophecy took centuries to be
completely fulfilled…but eventually
Babylon disappeared under the desert sands,
until a century or so ago, the Archaeologist
dug up its ruins.
..Saddam Hussein tried to rebuild Babylon
which would have falsified the prophecy..but
we know what happened to him!
• There are a number of other equally significant
ancient cities and empires, the complete demise
of which were predicted centuries before in Bible
prophecy, but, now in accordance with our
emphasis on world history foretold in advance, I
want to consider one of the great prophecies
given to the prophet Daniel.
• Daniel was a Jewish captive, taken to Babylon to
serve king Nebuchadnezzar, but who lived on
until Chaldean rule was succeeded by that of the
Medes and Persians.
• The prophecy I would like to consider tonight in some
depth, is found in the chapter our Chairman read as an
introduction, Daniel chapter 7.
World History Foretold in
Advance
Dan 7:2-3
behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And
four great beasts came up out of the sea
ESV
Four great beasts came up
out of the sea
The four
beasts of
Daniel
chapter 7
correspond
to the four
empires
represented
by the
metals of the
“image”
prophecy
found in
Daniel
chapter 2
Dan 7:4
The first was like a lion and had eagles'
wings.
ESV
Assyrian
lion from
Nineveh
Babylonian lion-glazed onto the bricks of
Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar’s
empire
another beast.. like a bear. It was raised
up on one side. It had three ribs in its
mouth between its teeth
Arise, devour much flesh!
Dan 7:6
another, like a leopard, with four wings
of a bird on its back
behold, a fourth beast,
dreadful and exceedingly
terrifying and
strong.
It had great iron teeth
it devoured and broke in pieces and
stamped what was left with its feet!
The Roman empire broke up into ten
nations (horns) as Daniel 7.v.24 said
there came up among them
another horn, a little one
Pepin, the king of the
Franks, conquered Italy
in the 8th Century and
gave three kingdoms
to the Pope
before which three of the first horns were plucked
up by the roots (Daniel 7.v.8)
Daniel 7.v.9
As I looked, thrones were placed, and
the Ancient of days took his seat his
clothing was white as snow, and the
hair of his head like pure wool; his
throne was fiery flames
Dan 7.vs.11-12
And as I looked, the beast was killed,
and its body destroyed and given over
to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest
of the beasts, their dominion was taken
away
Dan 7.vs.13-14
behold, with the clouds of heaven there
came one like a son of man, and he
came to the Ancient of Days and was
presented before him. And to him was
given dominion and glory and a
kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and
languages should serve him
Dan 7.v.14
his dominion is an everlasting
dominion, which shall not pass
away, and his kingdom one that
shall not be destroyed.
• These verses are telling us of the second coming of Jesus Christ to this earth,
to whom God will give the kingdoms of men. Many Bible Testament
prophecies testify to the blessings for the righteous and idyllic conditions
that will prevail in this kingdom of god on earth. Look, for example, at the
following passages:
•
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•
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Luke 1:32-33
Isaiah 9:7-7; 11:1-9
Psalm 72
Matthew 25:14-23; 31-34
But, where will all this leave you and me? If we
try to please God now and do His will, then the
words of Daniel 7: 27 will come true for us..
And the kingdom and the dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole
heaven
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most
High;
their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey them.'
ESV