Our Day in Bible Prophecy

“How to Survive the End of the World”

I. The Best Approach.

A. ___________Stockpiling?

B. _________________Arming ourselves?

C. Focus on ______________.the spiritual

II. The Story of Daniel 3.

A. Background.

1. King Nebuchadnezzar _____________ God: Daniel 2:47.

acknowledges

“The king said to Daniel, ‘Truly,

your God is God of gods and Lord

of kings, and a revealer of

mysteries, for you have been able

to reveal this mystery.’”

Daniel 2:47

2. King Nebuchadnezzar

_______ God: Daniel 3:1.defies

“King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.”

B. Forced worship: Daniel 3:4-6.

“And the herald proclaimed aloud, ‘You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to

fall down and worship the goldenimage that King Nebuchadnezzarhas set up; and whoever does notfall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.’”

1. The response of _________ _____________________: Daniel 3:12.

Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego

“These men, O king, pay no heedto you; they do not serve yourgods or worship the golden imagewhich you have set up.”

2. A second chance: Daniel 3:15.

“Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe,lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall downand worship the image which Ihave made, well and good;

but if you do not worship, youshall immediately be cast intoa burning fiery furnace; and who is the god that will deliveryou out of my hands?”

3. Courage and ______: Daniel 3:16-18.

faith

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, ‘ONebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If it be so, our God whom

we serve is able to deliver usfrom the burning fiery furnace;and He will deliver us out ofyour hand, O king. But if not,be it known to you, O king, thatwe will not serve your gods orworship the golden image whichyou have set up.’”

C. Deliverance

1. The punishment: Daniel 3:19-23.

“Then Nebuchadnezzar was fullof fury, and the expression ofhis face was changed againstShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the

furnace heated seven times more than it was wont to beheated. And he ordered certainmighty men of his army to bindShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them intothe burning fiery furnace. Because the king’s order was

strict and the furnace very hot,the flame of the fire slew thosemen who took up Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego. Andthese three men, Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego, fellbound into the burning fieryfurnace.”

2. God’s protection: Daniel 3:24-25.

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar wasastonished and rose up in haste.He said to his counselors, ‘Did wenot cast three men bound into thefire?’ They answered the king,‘True, O king.’ He answered,

‘But I see four men loose,walking in the midst of the fire,and they are not hurt; and theappearance of the fourth is likea son of the gods.’”

3. Delivered from the fire: Daniel 3:26-27.

“Then Nebuchadnezzar camenear to the door of the burningfiery furnace and said, ‘Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God,

come forth, and come here!’Then Shadrach, Meshach, andAbednego, came out from thefire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, andthe king’s counselors gathered together and sawthat the fire had not any power

over the bodies of those men;the hair of their heads was notsinged, their mantles were notharmed, and no smell of firehad come upon them.”

III. Relevance for Us.

A. Trust in God.

1. King Nebuchadnezzar’s declaration: Daniel 3:28.

“Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Blessedbe the God of Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego, whohas sent his angel and delivered his servants, whotrusted in him, and set atnought the king’s command,

and yielded up their bodiesrather than serve and worshipany god except their own God.”

2. We are saved by ______.faith

B. Key issues in the end.

1. Do we worship God or something established by humans?

2. Are we willing to endure trials?

3. Do we ______ enough to _____?

trustobey