The Harvest Is Ripe!

(From radio broadcast of Bro. Julius Adewumi)

Daniel 4

We are going to the book of Daniel chapter 4. In chapter one we saw how Daniel set himself apart for the work of the lord. He and his friends set themselves apart to not defile themselves. God blessed them for it. In Chapter 2, God began to manifest the blessing. In Chapter 3, the 3 Hebrews were tried. In chapter 4 God punished Nebuchadnezzar.

The stories in Chapters 2, 3 and 4 followed one another for a purpose. Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream in chapter 2 and said the reason why the dream was given to Nebuchadnezzar was because he was thinking upon his bed what will be after him, and the God of heaven that searcheth the hearts, made known to Nebuchadnezzar what will come after him. How several other kingdoms would take over the earth after Nebuchadnezzar. This was symbolized to Nebuchadnezzar in his vision as a statue with the head of gold, arms and chest of silver, the belly of brass, thighs and legs of iron, and the feet has iron and clay mixed. He said, after Nebuchadnezzar will be an inferior kingdom to Babylon but will take over the world. That was represented by the silver, the Medo-Persian empire. After that, the belly of brass symbolized the kingdom of Grecia, which took over from Medo-Persian empire. Then the legs of iron symbolized the Roman empire till the end at the feet which has iron and clay mixed. This is at the end of the world, which is where we are right now. Iron and clay mixed! Many kingdoms, weak and strong, in alliance: the United Nations.

He saw a stone cut without hand that bruised the image at the feet, and broke it into pieces. Daniel interpreted it that at the time of those numerous kings, at the feet - end of the world - shall the God of heaven set up his own kingdom, which shall destroy this kingdom of the world. This is going on right now. Christ Jesus has come, and set up his spiritual kingdom of Saints, which will manifest at the end of time as a physical kingdom to take over the earth.

Nebuchadnezzar wanted to defy the dream, as if to say Babylon shall live forever.

Therefore he made the statue all of gold from head to toe, and commanded all the rulers of the provinces to come and bow to it. That is what happened in chapter 3. Shedrach, Meshach, and Abednigo refused to bow and Nebuchadnezzar threw them into the furnace of fire. These men knew the vision and the interpretation, and also their God forbid them to bow to images. For Nebuchadnezzar to demand such worship, he had exalted himself.

He knew those men were Daniel's comrades and they must have known about the kingdom of God, but he went ahead with the threat. He had defied the God of heaven and must be punished.

Let's read how God punished Nebuchadnezzar for his arrogance. He wrote his testimony after he repented. What I want you to get out of this story is that God reigneth in the affairs of men. No matter how highly placed you are, be warned, God watches over the affairs of men. There is a King of kings who is the overseer over all the earth, and must be feared. He is watching you! "He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God." (2Sam.22:11).

There was a ruler, head of a country, in Nigeria many years ago, who wanted to make himself President for life. He was doing everything to make it happen. Then suddenly he was killed even by those that fed on his table, and he was no more. "The end of the wicked shall be cut off". You that is listening to me may be in similar shoe, be warned!

When God is fed up with the wicked, the wicked are overthrown and are not. Fear God.

No matter how you think you have everything under control! Still, fear God. We have seen cases of Dictators, evil rulers in this generation. They kill anyone they wanted to kill, and do anything whatever they purpose to do. It looks as if nobody can stop them.

But only for a little while. God raises up kings, and God takes away kings.

(Dan 4:1)

"Nebuchadnezzar the king unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.

v.13: "I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;

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: Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth ………."

v.16: Let his heart be changed from man's and let a beast's heart be given him, and let seven times pass over him.

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."

V18: "This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, for as much 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.

Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies."

So Daniel said the tree was Nebuchadnezzar himself who had grown lofty.

v.24: "This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: 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."

God ruleth in the affairs of men. The heavens do rule. Fear God! You may be the king. You may be the president. You may even be the secretary general of the united nations. The heavens do rule.

The bible tells you, Fear God. The most High God ruleth over the affairs of men. Fear God, make yourself part of his kingdom.

Daniel tried to give him advice, that He should go softly in humility before God.

v.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 tranquility".

It didn't do Nebuchadnezzar any good. After almost a year, all these happened to Nebuchadnezzar.

"And 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?"

He spoke in arrogance. That was the day the dream was fulfilled in him. "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. 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."

Exactly what was interpreted by Daniel, the same words were echoed back to Nebuchadnezzar when it was to happen.

v.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."

He was dethrone and made insane. That was the terrible thing that happened to Nebuchadnezzar. His mind was taken from him and an animal spirit was put into his body. That was why he ran away from men, like a wild ass into the jungle.

No man drove him: he was driven by a spirit.

I want you to take note of this. Don't be proud before God. We are like grasshoppers before him that seated upon the cycle of the earth. "It is he that sitteth upon the cycle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are like grasshoppers." Let's be humble before him. He that humbleth himself shall be exalted, but he that exalted himself shall be abased."

v.34: "At the end of the days, I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes unto heaven, and my 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: And all the inhabitants of the world 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?"

v.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 counsellers and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

v.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."

Do you hear that friend: "those that walk in pride he is able to abase."

The summary of this chapter is: humble thyself before the almighty God, and he will lift you up.

No matter how highly placed you are, humble yourself. Even if you are poor, you may still be proud. I met a homeless man one day and tried to witness to him. When I mentioned "God" he was angry, and will not listen to anything about God. He was proud towards God! Maybe he felt God was responsible for making him homeless. He was angry at God. God is not responsible for anyone's poverty or homelessness. Circumstances may overtake you, but don't say God did not show up to help you. First ask yourself, are you very close to God to hold him accountable for not helping you? Is he your Lord and master, and are you closely obedient to him so that you can say you have done your part he failed to do his? His word said "if you abide in me and my word abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done for you!" (Jn 15:7).

Don't be proud before him. Humble thyself and you shall be lifted up.

"Fear the Lord ye his saints, there is no want to them that fear him." Amen!

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DIALOGUES between a disciple and his Master

(exert from Jacob Boehme; 1600's)

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Bro. Julius Adewumi

Gospel Distribution Ministry

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