HSS_2020_Q1_EP06

♪ theme music ♪

(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,

an in-depth, interactive study

of the Word of God.

We are in the middle of an amazing series

of studies on the book of Daniel.

If you've missed any,

go to our website, hopetv.org/hopess.

You can watch the first in the series.

We're now studying From Arrogance
to Destruction, Daniel, chapter 5,

and I know there are lessons for us

that will bless our lives today,

so welcome to Hope Sabbath School.

And welcome to the team.

What an amazing series!

(Team) Yes.

(Derek) I think many of us

have studied Daniel before,

but we're just learning new lessons,

and we're glad that you're part

of our Hope Sabbath School family, too.

We would love to hear from you.

Tell us what you're learning

from the Word of God as we study together.

We pray for you and thank you also

for praying for us.

We're also happy to hear from you,

writing to us at [e-mail].

We get excited when we get your emails,

share them with the team.

It's a way of God showing us

that lives are being changed, right,

around the world, 212 countries

now using our app; we're just

so excited for each one of you.

And here's a note from Nahael,

a Haitian in China.

What an international team we have.

Thanks for writing, "I'm from Haiti.

Hope Sabbath School is a very great guide,

helping me to stay close to God

and His Word while I'm living

far from home." Amen?

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Yeah, he says, "I'm in China.

May God keep blessing all of you,

and please remember

my mother in your prayers.

She had a stroke recently at church."

Well, life is fragile, isn't it?

Nahael, thanks from writing

to us from [China],

and we certainly want to pray

for our loved ones, including your mother

there back home in Haiti.

Bruce writes to us

from the Solomon Islands.

Thanks for writing to us, Bruce,

"Thank you for being a great blessing

through Hope Sabbath School each week.

I am," Bruce says, "the media pastor

and evangelist for Hope Channel,
Solomon Islands."

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) What a great assignment.

"We are using your Hope Sabbath School
guides

as scripts for a radio broadcast

we call 'Hope Bible Study Class.'"

(Team) Nice.

(Derek) So, we're not going to say,

"Well, you can't do that; that's ours,"
right? We say...?

(Derek, Team) Praise God.

(Derek) They're using the outline

from Hope Sabbath School.

"May God continue to bless each one

as we partner together in His work." Amen?

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Well, we're not

in the Solomon Islands in person,

but we're there through our broadcasts
on Hope Channel,

and we're there, apparently,

on the radio, too, with a Bible study.

We're glad, Bruce, that you
shared with us.

Thank you so much.

Here's a note from a donor

in Washington State,

that's in the northwestern part

of the United States.

The donor says, "I listen every morning

while I eat my breakfast.

I would like some time to meet

all the people behind the scenes,

camera operators," they're right here,

"engineers, makeup artists,

all the people who make you look so good.

God bless the whole team."

Well, thank you to a donor

from Washington State,

and we're all part

of a great miracle of God.

Thank you for a donation of 80 dollars

to help Hope Sabbath School,

and thanks to all of our donors

who partner with us.

Here's a note from Balisanga in Rwanda.

Balisanga writes, "I'm writing
from Kigali;

you've been a blessing to me.

I follow Hope Sabbath School every evening

and at the same time

I'm learning more English; thank you.

Continue to spread the gospel

through your teachings; A big hug to all.

Well, Balisanga, thanks for writing

to us from Rwanda in the heart of Africa.

One last note here, from Tatenda.

We've got a lot of different names,
don't we?

But we're all part

of the family of God. Amen?

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) A Zimbabwean

living in South Africa, "Greetings

to Hope Sabbath School members

in the name of our Lord

and loving Savior Jesus."

(Team) Greetings!

(Derek) "Thank you so much

for such a wonderful presentation

and for the singing.

May the Lord continue to bless you

as you minister the blessed hope in Christ
to a dying world.

I started watching Hope Sabbath School
a few years ago,

and I fell in love

with the Scripture songs.

I repeat them once or twice

before I study the lesson.

I shared with my friend in Zimbabwe

who later said to me, 'Why were you

so unfair--not sharing with me

about this a long time ago?!'

Continue the good work.

May the Lord bless you and your families."

Well, Tatenda, thanks for writing

to us from Zimbabwe.

You like the Scripture songs?

Well, we need your help right now

because we're singing our theme song,

and we've asked one of our team, Adison,

to help lead the song.

Adison's about the same age;

Adison, you're 21 year's old, right?

That's about how old Daniel was

when he wrote this prayer

recorded in Daniel, chapter 2,
verses 20 to 23.

Let's sing it together.

♪ music ♪

(Derek) Amen. I love that Scripture song.

Thank you for sharing that
with us, Adison.

And thank you, Daniel; we'll thank him

when we get to the Kingdom for that prayer

because it's a prayer

for each of our hearts.

Even as we study here

from Daniel, chapter 5,

about From Arrogance to Destruction,

we're going to hear a word of hope

that everyone needs in the days

in which we live, so let's pray.

Father in Heaven, we're praying

for the wisdom that Daniel thanked You for

because it says in Your Holy Word,

"If anyone lacks wisdom,

let her ask God/let him ask God

who gives liberally and without reproach,"

without complaining or criticizing.

You want to give us wisdom

to know how to live,

how to follow Your leading in our lives,

how to open our lives

to Your salvation, to Your deliverance,

so that we can stand in the judgment,

unafraid, because we know that You love us

and we have surrendered our hearts to You.

Lord, guide us as we study today.

May lives around the world

be blessed, including ours.

We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) We're in Daniel, chapter 5.

It's a troubling story,

and yet we'll learn something

as we come to the end of the story

of peace and a confidence

that Daniel has, even facing

a great time of judgment.

And that's the same peace

and confidence we can have, too,

when we belong to God.

So let's start the story

in Daniel, chapter 5, and, Rick,

would you start our study today,

the first four verses.

What is particularly troubling

about this scene (let's read)?

(Rick) This is Daniel, chapter 5;
I'm reading

from the New International Version:

(Derek) So, what's troubling?

I mean, you say, "Well, it's toubling

because alcohol damages your brain,

and the Bible talks about our body

is the temple of the Holy Spirit."

But there's something more here, Nicole,

that's really troubling; what is it?

(Nicole) If you read between the lines,

at least for me, his father

was able to have a relationship

with Christ, or with God, and I'm sure

he shared that information with his son.

And, as Stephanie said in a prior lesson,

memory was an issue with this family,
it seems like.

And so, I think, for me, it's troubling

that his father shared with him

probably his journey about his coming
to know Christ,

and Belshazzar still did not
take heed to that

and is now fallen into a position

where he's just doing

whatever he wants to do and not taking...

(Derek) Just a historical note here,

my Bible, under where it

says "father" says "ancestor";

it's actually his grandfather.

And there's another in between

by the name of Nabonidus,

and then there's Belshazzar.

But it's like saying, "my," you know,

"my relative," descendant,

but still, grandpa can tell you things

about his transformation

that we studied in this series.

And Belshazzar is not only
not paying attention,

there's more that's troubling
in this picture.

What else is troubling, Travis?

(Travis) He's taking those holy vessels

and has intoxicating wine,

and he's drinking and praising

the gods of gold while doing it.

(Derek) And encouraging other people

to do the same thing!

How would you describe that?! Yes, Adison?

(Adison) Utter defiance.

(Derek) Yeah, it's utter, willful defiance

of the God of heaven, right?

It's not like, "Oh, I don't think

I should have done that."

It's willful and deliberate. Patricia?

(Patricia) The book Prophets and Kings

said that he thought there was

nothing too holy for him to touch.

(Derek) So it's back to Rick;

I think in a previous study

you talked about, "I'm god here," right?

"I'm the number one here,

and anything is under my control."

So there's that willful arrogant attitude.

Does that remind you of his grandfather,

or does it look even worse?

(Team) It looks worse.

(Derek) It looks worse, doesn't it?

A very troubling scene. Daisy.

(Daisy) When I read those verses,

I was thinking, "Wow."

I know the battle between good

and evil is happening,

and it's like when we become careless

and trifle with things

we're not supposed to,

we give evil power

more chance to get to us.

And in this case, because he was drinking,

he gave Satan more chance

to get to his head and tell him

to do things that he knew would defy God.

(Derek) That reminds me

of the story with Herod Antipas

where he's intoxicated, too,

and Herodias' daughter comes
and seduces him.

And, "What do you want,

up to half the kingdom?"

And she asked for the head

of John the Baptist on a plate.

So, loss of control of that frontal lobe

because of intoxication,

we've yielded our control

to another power, haven't we?

It's a very troubling story.

Now, you talk about back then,

but Revelation, remember,

these are companion books.

Somebody look in Revelation, chapter 17,

verses 4 through 6; it seems like

a similar situation happening.

Gary, do you have that,

would read it for us, Revelation 17:4-6?

(Gary) Okay, and I'll be reading

from the King James Version,

Revelation 17, verses 4 through 6:

(Derek) Is there another translation
besides "admiration"?

(Team Member) Amazement.

(Derek) Amazement. I don't think

he's going, "That looks really wonderful."

I think it's shocking, amazement to him.

By the way, if you study Revelation,

you'll discover that this
is also a religious power,

just like these gods of Babylon.

I just want to invite

our Hope Sabbath School members:

We have a series that you can

go to at our website, actually go

to HopeBibleStudy.org.

We have a chapter-by-chapter series,

Bible studies, on Daniel and Revelation
because they are

intricately linked together,
HopeBibleStudy.org.

You say, "I wish we could study
just Revelation."

Well, see how they fit together.

Go to that website; you'll be blessed.

So, arrogant attitude

in Belshazzar's time,

arrogant attitude of this religious power

at the end of time,

what causes people to have

such an arrogant attitude toward God?

Why don't they just say,

"Well, if some people want to believe

in God and worship God,

I don't," and just go off.

Why this shaking fist in the face of God

arrogant attitude, anybody? Yes, Jonathan?

(Jonathan) I think, kind of,

defiance is that thing of, you know,

if God is saying to my grandfather

that, "You need to bow down

and to acknowledge that I am the One

who sets and takes down kings,"

I mean, that takes humility,

and none of us wants to do that.

So, it's almost like (of defiance),

saying, "I'm going to do

whatever I want and make my name."

(Derek) A power struggle, maybe?

There's something else behind that.

What causes that, Adison?

(Adison) One word that came to mind

was self-glorification.

(Derek) Okay. You've all still

tied into human attitudes, and there are

human attitudes and thoughts. Gary?

(Gary) I was going to say the foundation

of any of those thoughts is Satan.

He is in abject defiance of God.

(Derek) Isaiah the prophet,

chapter 14:12-14, "I will exalt myself.

I will be like the Most High,"

this defiant attitude

is reflected in people. Rick?

(Rick) I think back to the Garden of Eden

when the serpent is tempting Eve.

He says, "And you will be like God.

That's why [He said] you
shouldn't eat this,

because He knows you'll become like Him,"
and that's just at the heart of sin

and of our sinful nature; we have
to be aware of that.

(Derek) So where do we see that today?

Do you see that kind of defiant attitude

towards God today? Adison?

(Adison) In my generation, I must say

I see a lot of that in my generation,

in other young people

that I go to school with,

and my heart just goes out to them.

I want to pray for them and be a blessing

and a good example to them.

(Derek) Sometimes you hear of people

who receive a special award,

and they say, "I want to thank God."

And I remember one person says,

"I don't want to thank God;

I did this all by myself."

That's that kind of defiant attitude.

It kind of shocks Christians who go,

"Wow, that's kind of shaking your fist."

It's like, "God, if You're there,

strike me down," you know?

But that defiant attitude

is really what we see in this story.

Did he know better?

Well, it depends on what you mean.

He knew about, right?

It's like Nebuchadnezzar

at one point knew about. Stephanie?

(Stephanie) I have to believe

that the merciful God we serve

has been giving him information,

so it's not that it's been
withheld from him.

(Derek) So, you're thinking,

just as God's been working

with his grandfather,

that Belshazzar has not been
without God's appeal.

But here he is now in this party,
he's intoxicated,

he's desecrating holy things
from the temple,

and something supernatural

is about to happen

right after your comment, Sean?

(Sean) I was just going to say,

if you think about this as a family,

and you try to put yourself in his shoes,

not justifying the sin

or anything or his arrogance,

but you have a grandfather

who conquered this nation,

and now his grandfather

is listening to this conquered Jewish boy

as to what he should do

and how he should live his life.

And it only builds up

in later generations, "Oh,

this man was weak,"

or, "He couldn't handle the kingdom."

So in a way it's kind of him

asserting himself as a king,

him showing off to say,

"I have all that I need,

and who is this God?"

It's almost like when they said

there was another Pharaoh,

or they didn't remember, so.

(Derek) The story's about to change
though.

Everybody's drunk, and who knows

what they're doing, desecrating

the holy things of God.

And then something happens.

Verse 5, Patricia, would you

read that for us in Daniel,

chapter 5 and verse 5.

Are you there in Daniel, or would you...

(Patricia) I just lost...I'm back

(Derek) Daniel, chapter 5 and verse 5.

(Patricia) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) How would you respond

if a hand just appeared?

It looks like a hand, they said,

like a man's hand, right?

And it's just kind of detached,

and it's writing in the wall.

Well, let's see how Belshazzar responded.

I think he started to get sober
rather quickly.

Verse 6, Jason, what happened next?

(Jason) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,

Daniel, chapter 5, verse 6:

(Derek) That's pretty intense, isn't it?

So back to Stephanie, your comment earlier

because I think this is important.

Was it just that he saw

a hand writing in the wall

that he's like, knees and the joints,

you know, it's like his hips

are coming out of joint, right,

knees knocking together,

or was it that he actually knew better

than to do the things

he had been doing, what do you think?

(Stephanie) I think his conscience was...

I think he knew better.

(Derek) How would you

describe him at this point
(give me a word)?

(Team Members) Scared. Terrified.

(Derek) Yeah, he's more than scared.

He's terrified, isn't he?

He's terrified! Daisy?

(Daisy) I was thinking, you know,

people of the world

who don't worship the true God,
who worship idols,

they're very strict about protocols

when you go to a shrine

or to worship certain gods.

They set aside certain things, saying,

"You have to do this a certain way.

If you don't do that,

you would be struck dead,"
by whatever god.

And so, it's like taking

another god's holy, sacred items
and defiling them.

He knew there could be some consequence

for defiling this God's articles,

because even in their own gods,

if you defile certain articles

dedicated to that particular god,

you could face severe consequences.

And maybe he took that lightly,

so now that he's seeing
something happening,

he knew it had to do with his actions

of desecrating those holy items.

(Derek) And I like what Sean said,

that it's his way of saying,

"I'm over any of these gods," right?

The deity thing that we talked about

in a previous study, like, "I'm god,"

you know, "I'm the most high,"

"I'm the most high one."

Well, what would you

expect his reaction to be?

Well, what did his grandfather

always do until he learned better?

(Nicole) Call his magicians and...

(Derek) Nicole, let's take a look

at verses 7 through 10, Nicole,

if you'd read for us Daniel 5:7-10.

(Nicole) The New King James Version

of Daniel 5, verses 7 through 10, says:

(Derek) I can imagine Belshazzar saying,

"That's easy for you to say."

By the way, this is probably

the Queen Mother, Queen Mother.

"It's easy for you to say this

because I don't know the answer to this."

Now, I have a question for you.

These astrologers, why does he

offer them...what does he offer them?

Third in the kingdom?

By the way, that's because Belshazzar

was actually second in the kingdom,

Nabonidus, his father, co-regent with him.

So he's saying, "I'm going

to give you the most power next to me,

and I'm going to give you," what,
"a gold chain."

Why doesn't he just say,

"This is your job to interpret things"?

It seems a rash thing to do?

(Heide) I think that he's trying

to appease the gods,

but I don't think it's just all the gods.

I think that he knows.

I think that he has heard

the story of his grandfather

since he was a child,

and he knows he messed up,

and he is terrified now.

And he's like, "Maybe if I do this,

then that will kind of appease Him,

and the punishment won't be harsh

because I know punishment is coming."

(Derek) Anybody else? Yes, Sean?

(Sean) I don't know if this was
a common thing.

In other parts of the Bible you may hear

of like what you're saying

with John the Baptist.

Something happened, and the king before

was like, "I'll give you

up to half the kingdom."

So, something about this whole pride,

still in this whole power trip,

that, "I can do this for you."

And it's also a little bit of incentive

to get this interpretation going.

(Derek) By the way, Herod Antipas,

the other story, was also drunk,

and he was the one,

when Herodias' daughter seduced him,

dancing in front of him,

like you said, he said, "I'll give you

anything up to half the kingdom."

So, I don't think he's

thinking that rationally, really.

It's just kind of a bizarre thing to say.

You know, "I'll give you

up to being the third ruler
in the kingdom,"

but he's definitely terrified. Travis?

(Travis) His decision to call them first

gives us some insight

to who have been the people

of his influence already to this point.

But the fact that he's trying

to purchase the definition

to the writing on the wall,

I think what God is showing here

is that God has given a message

with heavenly concealment and wisdom,

and He's saying to him,

"This cannot be bought.

Heavenly wisdom cannot be bought."

(Derek) So why is the Queen Mother
so confident?

She says, "Don't trouble yourself

nor let your countenance be so stressed."

What does the Queen Mother know? Daisy.

(Daisy) She has seen this
happen several times,

and she had confidence

that prior to this king's reign,

any time they had an issue

where something needed to be interpreted,

they always found Daniel to do it.

So she's like, you know, "Don't worry,

relax; I know somebody

who can solve your problem."

(Derek) Would you read that text for us?

We're in Daniel 5 still, verses 11 and 12.

(Daisy) I'll be reading

from the New Living Translation:

(Derek) And verse 12.

(Derek) Is it possible

that the Queen Mother

knows all of the things about Daniel,

and Belshazzar knows nothing

about Daniel - is that possible?

(Team) Probably not.

(Derek) Unlikely, unlikely, right?

It's like, "You know, your grandfather,"

right, "your ancestor Nebuchadnezzar..."

It's like, "That information

has been available to you," right?

So here's the question:

If information that can bless your life

is available to you,

why would you deliberately ignore it?

You say, "Derek, I think

that's kind of what people do

with the Bible," you know?

I mean, information is available,

why deliberately ignore it,

if he knew better?

Adison, why do people do that?

(Adison) I think, as human beings,

it's just our natural inclination.

We want to believe in ourselves

more than Someone greater than us,

in this case, God.

(Derek) Okay. Daisy?

(Daisy) Maybe he thought

other things were more important

than this information.

Like, there were more interesting things

to study in this kingdom than something

that has to be what Daniel's got.

I'm sure he was probably thinking that way

because I look at myself,

and sometimes I look at why can't I

find the Bible as interesting,

but I'm more drawn to movies

and shows on TV and whatever?

And it's like the same thing.

We're more drawn to certain things

that appeal to our senses

than the things that actually have

divine importance for us.

(Derek) So, is it too late

for Belshazzar now?

(Nicole) No, he's breathing.

(Derek) Okay, Nicole would say,
"He's still breathing."

So we've talked about Nebuchadnezzar

finally repenting and being transformed,
right?

But is there an unforgivable
transgression?

Is it possible...I'm not saying

it's the desecration of holy things;

that certainly is a sin.

Is it possible, though, to go so far

that you can't turn back?

(Jonathan) Won't.

(Derek) Won't turn back, okay.

So you would say God is still waiting

and say, "If you confess your sins, I will

be faithful and just to forgive you."

But like Pharaoh in the Old Testament,

his heart became hardened. Adison?

(Adison) If we go on a path that is not

in line with what God has for us,

then ultimately we can

drown out the voice of the Holy Spirit.

And it's like that analogy

where you have the circle of light,

and you're in that circle of light,

but as you step closer and closer

to the edge of that circle,

eventually you're going

to be over that line,

and you're going to be into the darkness.

(Derek) So, Jonathan, what you're saying

is it's possible to come to the place

where you just won't repent;
you won't turn.

(Jonathan) You've set up this path,

and every time you take a change,

you would have to say, "I'm wrong."

And that becomes harder and harder,

and you become more willing

to believe and convince yourself

and defend yourself that you're just...

(Derek) So let's see what Daniel says.

Daniel comes up, Daniel 5,

verses 13 through 16.

Sean, if you have that

and would read it for us.

The Queen Mother said,

"You should have asked Daniel;

the Spirit of the living God is in him."

He has a special spiritual gift,

we would say, the gift of being a prophet.

Let's see what happens.

(Sean) So I will be reading

from the New King James Version,

Daniel 5:13-15; it says:

(Derek) Verse 16.

(Sean) 16:

(Derek) What do you think

about the way that King Belshazzar

relates to Daniel? Anybody? Jason?

(Jason) Well, he refers to him

as one of the captives from Judah,

which is a little bit

of at least some kind of insult

or put-down, you could say.

(Derek) He had been a major adviser

to the grandfather Nebuchadnezzar, right?

So, you would say rather demeaning,

like putting him down,

minimizing any influence? Stephanie?

(Stephanie) Which is interesting

because the Queen didn't even mention that

when she was describing Daniel.

(Derek) So he knew.

(Stephanie) He knew.

(Derek) Ah! He knew a lot more

than he was letting on, right?

He even knew the history. Sean?

(Sean) And their names are very similar.

I don't know if we even address that

at this point in time,

but the fact is, that probably

could irritate somebody

that, "You named me after a captive,

after some slave," like...?

(Derek) Well, of course

that was a Babylonian name;

Belteshazzar was the name given to Daniel,

but he always sticks with his name

"God is My Judge," right, Daniel.

But, yeah, there were some similarities.

But it's an interesting point.

He had a lot of information about Daniel,

but he didn't want

to pay attention to any of it.

Well, let's see how Daniel reacts.

Adison, could you read verses 17 to 23?

It might seem a little uncharacteristic
of Daniel,

but let's listen to his words.

(Adison) Reading from the King
James Version:

(Derek) How would you describe

his conversation with this monarch?

(Team Member) Direct.

(Derek) Very direct.

(Heide) Very stern.

It was almost as if,

like when Nebuchadnezzar

made the mistakes that he made

and was filled with pride,

it was out of ignorance,

but, "You were not ignorant.

You knew better, and you still chose

to follow other gods."

(Derek) Still a chance for him to repent?

Well, let's read on; we're not too sure.

It seems like he's very set

in his ways, doesn't it?

Let's read from Daniel, chapter 5,

verses 24, 25, 26, 27, is the description.

So, Daniel, chapter 5,

beginning with verse 24, through 27,

and, Stephanie, would you

read that for us, please?

(Stephanie) The King James Version says:

(Derek) What would you think

would be an appropriate response?

What would be an appropriate response?

What would be the desired response?

"You've been weighed

in the balances and found wanting.

Your kingdom is divided."

What would be the appropriate response?

(Travis) Fall on your face?

Ask for mercy?

(Derek) You know, "Even if my kingdom
cannot be saved,

could I be saved?" What's the answer?

Even if the thief dying on the cross
next to Jesus

will still have to die

for his transgressions,

could he still be saved?

Well, let's see how Belshazzar responds

to the fact that he's been weighed

in the balances, found wanting,

and his kingdom is to be divided.

Daniel 5 and verse 29,

Rick, would you read that for us?

(Derek) Explain that to me?

(Rick) It's just a transaction,

"Thanks for your services."

(Derek) It's almost like, what?

What's the pathology

of that thinking, Nicole?

He's just been told,

"Weighed in the balances, found wanting,

kingdom's going to be divided."

(Nicole) He's so far removed

from what Christ can do for him

that he couldn't even probably hear

what Daniel said and really...

(Derek) Process it?

(Nicole) Process it. He was just like,

"Okay," as Rick said,

"Thank you for your service.

Here's what I owe you.

Go wherever you're going."

(Derek) And, by the way,

Daniel had already said,

"Keep those things for yourself.

Give them to someone else," right?

So, too late? Too late? Travis?

(Travis) I think in his own pitiful way

he's still trying to buy pity.

(Derek) Buy pity?

(Travis) Yeah, like, when Daniel said,

"I don't want any of this stuff;

you can give it to somebody else,"

and he tells him the interpretation,

he still has this fear in his heart.

And so he's like, "Here, just take this,"

like hoping that there's

some kind of mercy for him.

(Derek) Daisy, what do you think?

(Daisy) I think that's

the magnitude of sin.

When we don't turn or heed the warnings

that we get over time,

eventually we don't hear

the promptings anymore.

So, he doesn't even know what to do

in response to what Daniel told him...

If he still has grace, a thought

comes to him like, "Hey, okay,

this is the time where you repent

and confess, and you could be saved."

But at that point, it probably seemed like

he doesn't even get

that impression to do that;
he was too far...

(Derek) I would like to suggest

to someone watching Hope Sabbath School

that it is never too late

if you hear the call of God, to repent,
never too late.

But it appears like he can't
hear it anymore.

It doesn't even seem like he's

making sense anymore, right? Stephanie?

(Stephanie) Which seems to be the reason

why Daniel clearly articulated

before he gave the interpretation,

"This is what's happened.

This is your behavior

even though you knew this,"

and then he goes into the interpretation

because he knows that,

unlike King Nebuchadnezzar

who, when he saw that God was great,

he at least acknowledged God.

Belshazzar does not.

(Derek) To use the language

of our previous study,

"He lifted his eyes toward heaven,"

not present for his grandson. Travis?

(Travis) Derek, you just mentioned

the thief on the cross,

and it just came to my mind

there were two of them,

and both of them could have been pardoned;
one chose...

(Derek) Both could have been saved.

(Travis) Right.

(Derek) They might still have been

executed for their transgressions, right?

(Travis) Both of them could have
been saved,

but one of them chose to rebel,

even while hanging there dying,
and insult Christ.

(Derek) That's so tragic.

Verse 30, Patricia, could you read

for us Daniel 5, verse 30?

This is judgment day.

(Patricia) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) No more chance now, right,
no more chance.

The Bible speaks about that final judgment

and the fall of Babylon

also in the book of Revelation.

Remember I told you Daniel and Revelation,

that's why it's great

to study them together.

Revelation, chapter 14, and Revelation 18

record two references

to the fall of Babylon,

and I'd like to ask if, Jason,

you could read Revelation 14, verse 8,

and, Heide, if you could read

Revelation 18, verses 1 to 5.

First, Revelation 14 and verse 8.

(Jason) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,

Revelation, chapter 14, verse 8:

(Derek) Now, if you study

the book of Revelation,

you'll discover that Babylon

is not a city; it's a power.

And this prophecy is about
the collapse of Babylon.

Heide, let's read on

in Revelation, chapter 18, verses 1 to 5.

(Heide) Okay, and I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,
and it says:

(Derek) Is it startling to you

that this kingdom that's collapsing

has God's people in it?

"Come out of her..."?

(Derek, Team) "My people."

(Derek) Was that not the appeal

that God would like to have been able

to make to Belshazzar?

"Come out," but it's like

his brain has lost it.

He can't think clearly anymore.

But here's Daniel, the kingdom

that he's involved with

is about to collapse,

but you don't hear any kind of...

like his, what did it say,

his hips were coming loose,

and his knees were striking together.

Daniel's seeing the same thing,

and yet he's calm; he's at peace, Sean.

So, what's the difference

because could this be

the way it will be at the end?

Some will be, like,
knees knocking together,

crying for rocks to fall on them,

and others will be at peace,

maybe more than peace, full of joy

because the deliverance is at hand.

How is Daniel able to be so composed

and so full of peace?

(Sean) I was just going to say because he

has a loving relationship with God.

And just to be fair,

this is the second time a kingdom

will be changed over in his life.

So, knowing what God has done for him

and what He will do for him

gives him that peace of mind.

(Derek) All right, the first

was his own kingdom that collapsed,

and he was taken as a prisoner of war

when he was just a teenager, right?

And now he's seeing this kingdom collapse,

but he's able to face the collapse

of human kingdoms unafraid.
Yes, Stephanie.

(Stephanie) I think that Daniel
was also prepared

because Daniel, chapters 7 and 8,

are actually visions that he had

prior to this time,

if you look at the chronology of it.

So God was already preparing his heart,

and he already knew

additional information.

(Derek) So because he's trusted

in the Word of God,

and even more than trusting
the Word of God,

he has a relationship with God,

he can face the final crisis unafraid.

Let's look at a couple of Bible texts

because I think that's

a precious lesson for us, isn't it?

One lesson is: Don't wait until you can't
hear God anymore, to repent,

because you could come to that place.

Doesn't it say in Scripture,

"Today, if you hear My voice," what?

(Team) "Harden not your heart."

(Derek) "Don't harden your heart.

You could come to the place

where you can't hear Me anymore,

not because I'm not talking to you,

but you're not listening anymore."

Let's look at a couple of texts, though,

in 1 John and in the Gospel of John,

1 John, chapter 4, verses 17 and 18,

and, Adison, could you read 1 John 4?

This is a beautiful text that tells us

why we can face the final crisis
without fear.

(Adison) Reading from the King
James Version:

(Derek) It's back, Sean, to what you said:

It's the relationship,

that perfect love casts out fear.

What's the worst thing

that could happen to Daniel?

(Team) He could die.

(Derek) He could be killed, along with...

By the way, it wasn't only Belshazzar

who died that night, right,

but the king died.

That's the worst thing that could happen,

but doesn't the Bible say,

"Death, where is your sting;

grave, where is your victory"?

The worst thing that happens

is he sleeps until the resurrection

when the Messiah returns in glory.

So he can face that unafraid

because of that love relationship, right?

Same for each one of us.

One other text, in John, chapter 5,

you have that, Jason?

John, chapter 5:22-24.

Jesus is speaking, by the way, in John 5

about the day coming when all

who are in the graves will hear His voice.

Some will come forward

to the Resurrection of Life,

and others to the Resurrection
of Damnation.

That's a whole other topic,

and by the way, back to Revelation,

go to HopeBibleStudy.org,

a chapter-by-chapter study

of Daniel and Revelation,

because Revelation gives us

a lot more information

about those resurrections

when Jesus comes in glory.

But let's take a look,

in the same passage, he speaks

about why we don't need to be afraid

of the final crisis and of the judgment.

(Jason) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,

John, chapter 5, verses 22 through 24:

(Derek) Now, that doesn't mean

there won't be a final judgment;

it just means the outcome's
already settled.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) When you have that loving
relationship with God

and with Jesus your Savior,

the outcome is already settled.

You know you have eternal life

because of faith in Him.

Now, I have a practical question.

I want you to really pray about this

because we've got people

in how many countries around the world?

Someone is saying, "I think

I've crossed over the line;

I think it's too late for me."

Maybe there are tears

in their eyes, right now, and they say,

"I think I've crossed over the line;
it's too late."

What would you say to her?

What would you say to him?

There's got to be someone

out there like that, right?

Maybe - was there a time in your life

that you felt like that?

I was 18 when I felt like that,

so I know it's possible to feel that way,

like, "I think I've gone too far."

Daisy, what would you say to her?

What would you say to him, right now?

They say, "I think it's too late."

(Daisy) If they're still hearing

the voice of God calling them
to come back,

it's not too late.

That they feel that they're

heading down the wrong way,
it's not too late.

(Derek) But I remember I got an email

just this week from someone

who said, "But I'm so ashamed

of all of the things I've done,

and even some of the things

I'm still doing - I'm so ashamed!"

(Daisy) There's no sin

too big for God to forgive.

No matter how big we think our sin is,

God can forgive and is willing,

more than willing, to forgive.

(Derek) Adison?

(Adison) I would say,

"Come to Jesus as you are.

There is victory in Him.

He can set you free.

The truth sets you free."

(Derek) So, don't wait until..?

(Adison) No, today is the day
of salvation.

(Derek) Maybe that's why you're

watching Hope Sabbath School today.

Maybe today is the day to say,

"Jesus, I hear Your voice." Travis?

(Travis) I would say,

if you're feeling ashamed,

this is a good sign,

because it seems like Belshazzar

was not feeling ashamed.

But when you feel that shame, praise God,

because the Holy Spirit

is still convicting.

(Derek) All right. So, don't let

that shame hold you back? Jonathan?

(Jonathan) I'd just say, also emphasize,

don't let anything pull you away

from repenting now, from turning

and giving up your cherished sin

or whatever and give it to God

and let Him be the One that fixes it.

(Derek) Stephanie, and then I want

to ask, has anyone been in that place

where you thought it was too far,

and God said, "No, you're wrong.

It's not too late for you"?

(Stephanie) I had someone

actually say that to me...

(Derek) Like, "It's too late"?

(Stephanie) "It's too late; it's too late.

You don't even want to know
what I've done."

And I let them know that,

"If you're feeling that way,

God is still working on your heart.

And it says in 1 John 1:9,

'Confess your sin, and God is faithful

and just to forgive us of our sins

and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.'"

(Derek) Not just to forgive us
but to make us clean!

(Stephanie) That's right, and He wants

to throw our sins into the depths
of the sea.

We're the problem; we want

to go down and scuba dive

and bring it back up.

And Jesus says, "I've taken care of that."

(Rick) And I think the answer's

in Daniel from our last lesson

where Nebuchadnezzar had to look up.

And I think the temptation for us

is to look at ourselves.

If you look at yourself,

of course you're not good enough.

No, you're not going to be saved

by your own self or your behavior.

You are going to be sinful,

you are going to make mistakes,

you are going to have stuff

you're ashamed of, we all do,
if we have a conscience.

You know, Belshazzar has no conscience.

But God worked with Nebuchadnezzar.

And when we're at that point

where we realize, "I am ashamed;

I need help," that's a great moment,

and then look up because that's

where the salvation is.

It's not in you; it's in Him, so...

(Derek) Well, I'm praying

for whoever is listening today. Daisy?

(Daisy) Until you take your last breath

I think you still have a chance.

We shouldn't let anything stop us.

I think sometimes God prolongs our life

(like Manasseh), prolongs our life

to give us multiple chances,

to give us a chance to change.

So, if we're still alive, that means

God is still giving us a chance to change.

So it's never too late.

(Rick) And that was in Daniel, too,

when Nebuchadnezzar had a year

before the prophecy

that he would be humbled.

(Derek) And then seven years it took

before he finally looked up. Adison.

(Adison) In this day of salvation,

we have the opportunity now to say,

as in the words of that beautiful hymn,

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

look full into His wonderful face,

and the things of this world,"
this earth...

(Derek) Including all of my failures
and shame...

(Adison) That's right, including
your failures and heartache,

"will grow strangely dim

in the light of His glory and grace."

(Derek) What a powerful lesson.

Our hearts are touched today

because someone watching, maybe it's you,

says, "Is it too late for me?"

And the Spirit of God says, "No."

Call upon the name of God,

ask Jesus to save you,

not just so that you can

spend eternity with Him,

but because He wants to use you

to bless the lives of those around you.

There are others you know

who think hope is all gone.

But there is hope in God,

and that is a precious truth

that we learn, even in the tragic story

of Daniel, chapter 5.

Let's pray together; Father in Heaven,

it's easy to sit and say, "Well,

King Belshazzar made foolish mistakes,"

But, God, right now You're calling us

to turn from our foolishness,

to repent and call upon You,

humble ourselves and allow You

to rescue us, to redeem us,

to forgive us, to cleanse us.

God, I think You for that miracle,

and I pray we would,

while we're hearing Your voice,

accept Your invitation.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Thanks for joining us

for Hope Sabbath School.

We're in the middle of a wonderful series,

a life-changing series.

Invite someone to join you.

Take the truth you've learned today,

go out and be a blessing

to those around you.

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