Forge Church

As Belshazzar started to reign, Daniel received a dream very like the dream of Nebuchadnezzar with the figure made of metals. The dream of Daniel revealed 4 beast that rise from the earth, directly paralleling Nebuchadnezzar's dream. It is the 4th beast with 10 horns that troubles Daniel. Another horn rises on the head of the 4th beast with eyes like a human and a mouth that speaks great blasphemies against God. Daniel watches the rise of this evil leader and his demise. The Messiah, the Son Of Man is introduced, and shows that he will be coronated and give a kingdom. Daniel keeps all these scenes private to ponder and wonder over.

Daniel was named one of three "commissioners" to oversee all trade and taxation in the Persian Empire by King Darius, knowing that the Persian world was rife with corruption and greed. Daniel did such an exemplary job that the King planned to elevate him to the role of Prime Minister. The other two commissioners and many local satraps conspired to pull Daniel down from leadership. They got Darius to sign into law a 30 day rule that all prayer and petition had to be mediated through the King, or individuals would be thrown into the pit of lions. Daniel prayed to God Most High, and was caught, and was cast into the pit to be executed. God sent an angel to shut the mouths of lions. The King was astonished, ruled that the God of Daniel was to be honored.

King Belshazzar sets a feast for 1000 of his nobles that have fled into Babylon ahead of the encroached Medo-Persian Armies. The King orders the gold and silver goblets taken from Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem to be used in the orgy. Suddenly, a hand appears and writes 4 words on the wall. The King is terrified, his magicians fail to read or interpret the words. Daniel is summoned to the room to read and interpret the handwriting on the wall. Bottom line, Belshazzar has been weighed int he balances and found wanting. He will die at the hand of Medo-Persian warriors that very night for defying Yahweh, and living a profligate life.

King Nebuchadnezzar was awakened from a troubling dream. He called for his court magicians to come interpret the dream. When they failed, Daniel arrived, but he was appalled at the interpretation that God revealed to him. The King was about to be struck down, with loss of his mind, to live as an ox for 7 years. Then Nebuchadnezzar would lift his eyes to heaven and acknowledge God Most High.

Ten years after Nebuchadnezzar had installed Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to his court, there was a rebellion in the Empire. After the revolt was suppressed, Nebuchadnezzar raised a 90 foot tall idol, and summoned all the Empire's infrastructure to come for a loyalty check. The thousands who came were to bow to the ground in front of the idol and the King. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did not bow, and were dragged before the King. When they refused to bow, they were bound and thrown into a super-heated furnace. They were seen by the King as they walked about in the fire with a 4th figure. When the came from the furnace, there was not even the scent of smoke on their clothes. Nebuchadnezzar gave credit to God Most High.

King Nebuchadnezar had a disturbing dream and sleep left him. He summoned his magicians, enchanters, conjurers, and astrologers to read back to him his dream, and interpret it. Great rewards were offered, but if they could not solve the dream puzzle, they would be executed. His "conjuring crowd" rejected his demand, saying it could only be done by a god. They were consigned to execution. Daniel discovers that he, too, is condemned. He prays with his friends to Adonai, Sovereign God, and receives an identical dream. He plays all that back to Nebuchadnezzar, and is rewarded.

Daniel, of the Royal house of Judah, is taken captive and placed in the School Of Babylon...to equip him to be one of the king's counselors. He is given meals from the king's table, but as an observant Jew, those foods were unclean AND dedicated to Babylonian gods. Daniel asks that he and his 3 friends be given vegetables and water as a test. The four youths from Judah shone when put up against the other international students in the School of Babylon after 10 days trial. Further, the four of them excelled to the point of being the best of the class, and were placed as king's counselors.

The book of Daniel displays the providence and sovereignty of God even over his people of Judah who were sent into captivity to Babylon. God raises up Daniel to discover that the length of the captivity was limited to 70 years. Daniel also was part of the manifestation of miracles of Yahweh to the court of Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel received astounding prophetic downloads about future nations, and the coming of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ.

Paul begins this passage by saying he and his missions team are working together with God. He continues with what his apostolic ministry has experienced, and the resources from heaven that have carried him forward. In all of that, he displays holiness. Given that he is writing to the Corinthian Ekklesias, and to us, we, too, are called to demonstrate holiness.

Paul began v. 18 of Chapter 5 with the words "now all thise things are from God." He is reflecting back to the list of characteristics of the New Covenant Ministry that began in Chapter 2:14. This amazing list has created a ministry platform for Corinthian believer and for us. From that platform, we proclaim the ministry of restoring mankind to a face to face meeting with God. Paul mantles the Corinthians and us as ambassadors in Christ, and then points out that Christ was a moral miracle.

Paul begins this section with a reference to the fear of the LORD. Looking back, that ties in with the Judgment Seat of Christ, but there will be awe, reverence, wonder, and fear....not terror. Then he shifts to speak concerning those who oppose him, and their focus on "face."The New Covenant Ministry focuses on the heart. There were those who opposed Paul who thought he was crazy. Paul locks in his high doctrine of Christ with the statement "One died for all, therefore all died." And beyond that, old things have been dropped and left, and we are new creations in Christ.

Paul wrote of the day when our earthly dwelling, which he describes as a tent, will be struck down, and we will receive from God a building from God....a supernatural body. At that point in time and eternity, we will be complete in our Salvation. We long for heaven, and the Holy Spirit has been given to us as a pledge that God will keep his promises. We all will be summoned to the judgement seat of Jesus as he tests the works that we did with our faith. Those that were built on the foundation of His righteousness, not ours, will stand the test. That that were done in the flesh will be removed. All of that is to glorify the Father.

Paul wrote of the promise of the resurrection, for the Corinthian believers, and for all those through the ages who have trusted in Christ. And that resurrection is for a purpose....to lift praise to the Father. Paul continued with the phrase with which he began chapter 4...."we do not lose heart." He is looking back at the treasure in earthen vessels and the push-back by Holy Spirit when we are under great pressures.

Paul announces that we possess a treasure within our bodies, our earthen vessels. That treasure is the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ. When our earthen vessels are struck, rejected, squeezed...cracks form, and it is through those cracks that light streams forth. We will be squeezed, but not squashed. We will be bewildered, but not befuddled. We will be hunted down, but not abandoned. We will be knocked down, but we will not be knocked out. All those pressures on us are to make the death and the life of Jesus visible within us, and through our words, our emotions, our thoughts, our attitudes....so that we are like Him.

Paul looks back a chapter and half to review all that makes up the New Covenant Ministry so far, then he continues by saying because of that hope, we do not lose heart. Then Paul turns to those who cannot see or hear what is presented about Christ. They have been blinded in their minds by the god of this age, and have set their course for death unto death. He further states that he and the apostolic team are bond-servants of the Corinthian believers.

Paul illuminates the New Covenant Ministry with 4 characteristics: great boldness of speech, unveiled faces and hearts, freedom, and ongoing transformation of our lives.

Paul questions his readers to determine if they are calling for letters of recommendation. His response is to point out that they have hearts of flesh, engraved on the surface by God, and those same engravings are also on Paul's heart. Paul answers his question from above in Chapter 2 with his amazing statement that God has made us adequate for all things! Then Paul turns to focus on the inner heart, not the external practices, for that lines up with the New Covenant that Ezekiel introduced and Jesus Modeled.

The passages immediately prior to Chapters 2:14-7:2 in 2 Corinthians are concerned with tears, church problems, Paul's anguish for the believers he led to the LORD. The New Covenant Ministry Passages, in contrast, are sweet, powerful, filled with grace and promises. We are being led in the triumph of Christ, and we shed abroad the fragrance of Christ whatever we are doing.For some it is life to life sweet perfume, for other, it is the very reek of death as they reject Christ.

In this introduction to Paul's passionate expression of his ministry, we look at the context of the Corinthian churches, and the letters already sent from Paul to them. The passage of 2nd Cor. 2:14-7:2 are wrapped around with tears, struggle, and suffering. Suddenly, Paul breaks out in a cry of thanksgiving , that even when his heart is wrenched, he is able to zoom out and engage with the LORD over being in the train of the triiump of Christ.

In poetic form, the prophecy of Joel proceeds back and forth with both his words by Holy Spirit, and the words of Yahweh, the LORD. The surrounding nations are called to war, called rush to a battle in the "valley of verdict" that they cannot win. The list of surrounding nations to be judged is expanded to include Edom and Egypt for their shedding of innocent blood. They will be reduced a desert wasteland. The LORD will exact vengeance for the shedding of innocent blood, then settle to reign in Jerusalem, on Zion.