The Book of Daniel Explained.

This book was written by my sister, Elizabeth James. It was published in 2008. I am going to post her book here on my blog, in what I hope is small doses, in the hope whoever reads it will be warned of what is to come in the closing days of Earth's history.  

I know there are many interpretations of the book of Daniel and Revelation. The way to know which one is true is to watch and see if the world events unfold according to the interpretation.

Chapter 1

A few years ago I saw a bumper sticker that made me laugh out loud, and every time I think about it I laugh again.  It says, “Where am I going, and why am I in this hand basket?”  This pretty much sums up the state of this world today; it seems to be going to hell in a hand basket.  

But is this true?  Well, for millions of us alive today, especially those of us living in industrialized nations, our standard of living and our quality of life is better than at any time in history.  

Medicine has made advances at an exponential rate over the past century, finding cures for much of what used to contribute to shorter life spans. We can communicate with each other instantly by telephone or email, and visually through satellite feeds or from our homes via the Internet.  And we can get from place to place faster than ever.

So why do many of us often feel as though the world is doomed?  Could it be because it IS doomed and we know it?  Or are we simply running around like Chicken Little, screaming that the sky is falling?

    The Bible has a lot to say about the end time of this world, so perhaps we should find out if we are living in the end time or if we are just worrying for no reason.

“You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.  But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”  

Matt. 24:6-8

Most Bible scholars agree that what Jesus said here in Matthew Chapter 24 applies both to what happened on a small scale - the fall of the city of Jerusalem in the year 70 CE (see Appendix 1) - and what will happen on a large scale to the world at the end time.  So let’s look at how this applies to our world today.

There have always been wars, so what is so special about stating the obvious?  Well, yes, there have always been wars, but not on the scale we have seen in the past century.

In the past, wars were not global events involving millions of people.  Both World War I and World War II are so named because much of the world was involved.  That had never happened before in history, and yet it happened twice in less than 30 years.  In World War II alone, about 93 million soldiers were fighting on both sides and about 22 million of them were killed.  But amazingly, over 30 million civilians died during that war! (1)  Some estimates put the total death count from World War II at over 60 million!  And wars have continued around the globe.  In 1993, the Associated Press reported that another 23 million plus people have died in various wars since 1945. (2)

In part of that verse we looked at in Matthew 24, Jesus also said there would be famines and earthquakes.  There have always been famines and earthquakes so that is not such a big prophetic remark, is it?  Well, we have seen that the world has become involved in bigger and bloodier wars lately, so have there been more and worse famines and earthquakes lately as well?

In 1996 it was reported that 800 million people go hungry every day, and that “Some 40,000 hunger-related deaths occur every day…” (3)  Did you know that 2000 years ago, when Jesus was walking the Earth, there were only about 300 million people alive on the whole planet? (4)  This means that even if every person on the planet in Jesus’ time were hungry, it still would not come close to the problem we have today.

Okay, famines are worse nowadays.  What about earthquakes?  Between the years 1000 and 1800 there were only 21 major earthquakes. Eight hundred years and only 21 major earthquakes does not seem so bad.  But between 1800 and 1900 there were 18…almost as many earthquakes but in only one-eighth the time span.  Between 1900 and 1950 the number grew to 33.  Thirty-three major earthquakes in only 50 years?  Ouch!  And then  there were 93 major earthquakes between the years 1950 and 1991. (5)  Wow!  More and more major earthquakes are occurring all the time. 

But what about right now?  What has happened in the past 15 years or so?  Well, according to the United States Geological Survey, the world has seen 15 monster earthquakes measuring over 8.0 on the Richter scale (see Appendix 1) between 1991 and 2006!  In that same time period there have been 240 earthquakes measuring between 7.0 and 7.9 on the Richter scale. (6)  I would say that Jesus is 3 for 3 on his prophecy about wars, famines and earthquakes.

Church & State in the U.S.A.

Many years ago, I received a phone call from my sister, Liz. She lived in Nevada and I live in Canada. She told me she thought God had asked her to do something, but she wasn't positive it was him. I asked her what it was.

Liz told me she didn't want to tell me. She was asking God for guidance and asked me to pray about what she should do. I said I would be glad to pray about it.

That night, I had a dream. I was in my living room and there was an open book laying on my coffee table. I looked at it closely and could see pictures in it. They were pictures of the images of the book of Daniel. I realized it was a book about the end times.

I picked up the book and felt God wanted me to give it to our next-door neighbor. So, I went over and gave it to her. I woke up.

I called my sister the next day and told her my dream. She told me that she had thought God had asked her to write a book about Daniel and Revelation and the last days of earth's history. We were happy the Lord opened this up to me as it was in agreement with what she had heard.

She wrote the book and we gave it away and sold some online. E-books started being popular so she put her book on lulu.com and that is where it is now as an ebook or a soft cover. I also gave one to my next door neighbor since God showed me that in the dream. She looked at me like I was nuts, but that's okay. She is already a Christian, but of a different church than the one I went to.

Now, what does this have to do with Church & State? Well, in Revelation, we believe it prophesies about a major Christian power that will unite church and state. This power will persecute those who don't believe what they say. They will pass laws and whoever does not obey their laws will not be able to buy or sell. They will make an "image to the beast," which will be a national Sunday Law. Those who go along with this law will receive the mark of the beast.

Because the United States government is now taking steps to unite church & state, I felt very strongly to put my sister's book on my blog to warn people of what is to come. I'm pretty sure many people who follow my blog will quit following, but that is not important to me. What is important is that I warn people, so when they see it happening, they will know that a Sunday Law is not from the Lord.

This is an excerpt from my sister's book. I plan to begin copying her book and putting pages of it on my blog. Remember the Book of Revelation means a "revealing."  It is not hidden, for God wants us prepared for what is to come.

I love the cover. My sister and I have the same sense of humor.

"Of the United States, Revelation 13:12 says, “He exercises all the authority of the first beast (Rome, Catholicism) in his presence.  And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal would was healed.”  Just as the Pope and the Catholic Church used to exercise political and religious authority over the Western world before its deadly wound in 1798, so the United States will exercise its political and religious authority over the Western world, uniting with Catholicism and giving back to the Pope the power his position once wielded. 

The Image of the Beast

            When you look in a mirror you see a reflection of yourself.  It is not you, but it looks just like you and it mirrors any movement you make.  Well, the beast was a political and religious power that ruled the Western world for centuries, and an image to this beast will have the same traits without being the exact same entity.  

Instead of being solely the Catholic Church with the Pope wielding religious and political power, this image will be political powers, dominated by the US, backing up the Ecumenical unification of religious powers (Revelation 17:12, 13 says that the kings of the earth will give their power and authority to the beast, so it will not be just the US political power).  Combined, these political and religious powers resemble, or mirror, the works and the powers of the Catholic Church during her 1260-year reign from 538 CE to 1798 CE.  So what we will see is an unholy trinity, a joining of politics, Protestantism and Catholicism. 

Blogger Tag: Or What You are Dying to Know About Me. Lol

I received a Blogger Tag from Jolie at : https://joliesattic.com/

Jolie is a wonderful person and I love her blog; it's so fun and interesting. 

So here I go with the questions:

Question 1: How tall are you?  

5'2 3/4 inches. I've always wished I was taller so I could eat more. Lol

Question 2: Do you have a hidden talent?

I once wrote a comic strip about two dinosaurs. I was very good at it. People thought it was funny. But I read about what happens when you sell a comic strip. You have to fly to the newspaper and give interviews to the media. Yeah, no. Aint gonna happen. Lol

Question 3: What’s your biggest blog-related pet peeve?

Posts that are waay too long. But I've been guilty of that myself a few times.

Question 4: What’s your biggest non-related blog pet peeve?

When I read about the rich oppressing the poor.

Question 5: What’s your favorite song?

That changes over the years. Right now I have two songs I listen to regularly. "Be It Unto Me," and "Be Glorified." They are both sung by Don Moen, who has been a huge blessing to me through his music.

Question 6: What’s your favorite social media website?

Facebook, without a doubt. I can keep up with what my family and friends are doing. Also, I have learned some interesting things from other people's posts.

Question 7: What’s your favorite way to spend your time when you’re alone?

I like to read and do crosswords when I'm alone. I love reading blogs. I find people so interesting. It feels sacred to get to know another human being.

Question 8: Whats your favorite junk food?

Ice cream with chocolate sauce.

Question 9: Do you have a pet or pet(s)? If so, what kind and what are their names?

I had a dog until we had to move out of my daughter's house and got an apartment. We left the dog with our granddaughter, Faith. She is happy with Faith and family. Her name is Leia, after the Princess of fame. She is a Lahasa Apso. 

Question 10: What are your number one favorite non-fiction and fiction books?

Non-fiction: Man's Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl. It's the story of his life during WWII, when he was in a concentration camp. Fiction: To Kill A Mocking Bird. I read it when I was young and have read it a few more times.

Question 11: What’s your favorite beauty product or tool?

Ponds face cream. I've been using it since I was in my twenties and I have very few wrinkles. However, I have a chubby face, so that may have something to do with that. Lol

Question 12: When were you last embarrassed? What happened?

When I posted on Facebook about my gay sister and how God is helping her and put it on a friend's wall by mistake. The friend is an old-time Evangelical Christian and I'm sure I embarrassed her with all her friends. But she was so gracious. When I found my mistake, I wrote her and apologized. She said I am always surprising her. Lol  She is a lovely woman. She kept that post on her wall for days.

Question 13: If you could only drink one beverage (besides water) for the rest of your life what would it be?

Easy: Coke or Pepsi. Love them both.

Question 14: What’s your favorite movie?

"Notorious," which stars Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. As a girl, I slept with a picture of Cary Grant under my pillow.

Question 15: What was your favorite lesson at school?

Oh how I hated school. Never had a favorite. Hated all of it. Lol

Question 16: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

I live in Canada, and I would stay here. I would love to live by the ocean, so anywhere along the coast of British Columbia. I live inland now in Kelowna, BC.

Question 17: PC or Mac?

PC and Tablet. Love the tablet.

Question 18: Last romantic gesture from a crush, date, boy/girlfriend, spouse?

Hubby keeps buying me woodworking tools for my hobby. He surprises me with them. I now have 4 different kinds of saws if you need to borrow one.

Question 19: Favorite celebrity?

Cary Grant. 

Question 20: What blogger do you secretly want to be best friends with?

Everyone I follow.

Question 21: Who is your biggest inspiration?

Jesus.

Question 22: What is your favorite blog to read?

I couldn't pick just one.

Question 24: Are you in education or do you work?

I'm retired after years of raising my children, babysitting other children and then my grandchildren.

Question 25:  One thing you are proud of?

One time, I flew down to a sister's place in Florida. She had to sell her house and move because she was too sick to work any longer. I'm proud of the great job I did on her house. Cleaned and painted it. My mom came and helped and my sister did what she could. She sold the house quickly.

I am now supposed to tag people. Well, I would like anyone who follows me to do this Blogger Tag. I'd love to know more about all of you.