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God’s Kind of Christmas

In Earth as It Is in Heaven

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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkDAN">
 <div class="chapter ch3" data-usfm="DAN.3">
 <div class="label">3</div><div class="s1">The Image of Gold and the Blazing Furnace</div><div class="p"> 1King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide,#3:1 That is, about 90 feet high and 9 feet wide or about 27 meters high and 2.7 meters wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.</div><div class="p"> 4Then the herald loudly proclaimed, &#8220;Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.</div><div class="p"> 8At this time some astrologers#3:8 Or Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews. 9They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, &#8220;May the king live forever! 10Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon&#8212;Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego&#8212;who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, &#8220;Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, &#8220;King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us#3:17 Or If the God we serve is able to deliver us, then he will deliver us from the blazing furnace and from Your Majesty&#8217;s hand. 18But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22The king&#8217;s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.</div><div class="p"> 24Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, &#8220;Weren&#8217;t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?&#8221;</div><div class="p">They replied, &#8220;Certainly, Your Majesty.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25He said, &#8220;Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 26Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, &#8220;Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!&#8221;</div><div class="p">So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.</div><div class="p"> 28Then Nebuchadnezzar said, &#8220;Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king&#8217;s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 30Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkDAN">
 <div class="chapter ch6" data-usfm="DAN.6">
 <div class="label">6</div><div class="s1">Daniel in the Den of Lions</div><div class="p"> # In Aramaic texts 6:1-28 is numbered 6:2-29. 1It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5Finally these men said, &#8220;We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: &#8220;May King Darius live forever! 7The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions&#8217; den. 8Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered&#8212;in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.&#8221; 9So King Darius put the decree in writing.</div><div class="p"> 10Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: &#8220;Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions&#8217; den?&#8221;</div><div class="p">The king answered, &#8220;The decree stands&#8212;in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13Then they said to the king, &#8220;Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.&#8221; 14When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.</div><div class="p"> 15Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, &#8220;Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions&#8217; den. The king said to Daniel, &#8220;May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel&#8217;s situation might not be changed. 18Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.</div><div class="p"> 19At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions&#8217; den. 20When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, &#8220;Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21Daniel answered, &#8220;May the king live forever! 22My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.</div><div class="p"> 24At the king&#8217;s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions&#8217; den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.</div><div class="p"> 25Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:</div><div class="pmo">&#8220;May you prosper greatly!</div><div class="b"></div><div class="pm"> 26&#8220;I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.</div><div class="qm1">&#8220;For he is the living God</div><div class="qm2">and he endures forever;</div><div class="qm1">his kingdom will not be destroyed,</div><div class="qm2">his dominion will never end.</div><div class="qm1"> 27He rescues and he saves;</div><div class="qm2">he performs signs and wonders</div><div class="qm2">in the heavens and on the earth.</div><div class="qm1">He has rescued Daniel</div><div class="qm2">from the power of the lions.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 28So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus#6:28 Or Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus the Persian.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkDAN">
 <div class="chapter ch7" data-usfm="DAN.7">
 <div class="label">7</div><div class="s1">Daniel&#8217;s Dream of Four Beasts</div><div class="p"> 1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.</div><div class="p"> 2Daniel said: &#8220;In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.</div><div class="p"> 4&#8220;The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.</div><div class="p"> 5&#8220;And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, &#8216;Get up and eat your fill of flesh!&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 6&#8220;After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.</div><div class="p"> 7&#8220;After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast&#8212;terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.</div><div class="p"> 8&#8220;While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.</div><div class="p"> 9&#8220;As I looked,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;thrones were set in place,</div><div class="q2">and the Ancient of Days took his seat.</div><div class="q1">His clothing was as white as snow;</div><div class="q2">the hair of his head was white like wool.</div><div class="q1">His throne was flaming with fire,</div><div class="q2">and its wheels were all ablaze.</div><div class="q1"> 10A river of fire was flowing,</div><div class="q2">coming out from before him.</div><div class="q1">Thousands upon thousands attended him;</div><div class="q2">ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.</div><div class="q1">The court was seated,</div><div class="q2">and the books were opened.</div><div class="p"> 11&#8220;Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12(The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)</div><div class="p"> 13&#8220;In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,#7:13 The Aramaic phrase bar enash means human being. The phrase son of man is retained here because of its use in the New Testament as a title of Jesus, probably based largely on this verse. coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.</div><div class="s1">The Interpretation of the Dream</div><div class="p"> 15&#8220;I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this.</div><div class="p">&#8220;So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17&#8216;The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever&#8212;yes, for ever and ever.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 19&#8220;Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws&#8212;the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell&#8212;the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.</div><div class="p"> 23&#8220;He gave me this explanation: &#8216;The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.#7:25 Or for a year, two years and half a year</div><div class="p"> 26&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 28&#8220;This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.&#8221;</div>
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