Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was appalled for a time, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered him and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream and its interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, let the dream be for those who hate you, and the interpretation for your enemies.” Daniel 4:19.

Daniel was horrified by the interpretation because he realized it referred to the king and what was going to happen to him. The tree the king had seen represented him and his kingdom (Daniel 4:20–21). His kingdom and his greatness had extended right to the ends of the earth (Daniel 4:22). In the dream the king saw a watcher who said, “Cut down the tree but to leave its stump.” (Daniel 4:23). The significance of this is that the king will be removed from among men and will have his dwelling in the field with the beasts; his food will be grass and he will be wet with the dew of heaven just as oxen are (Daniel 4:24–25). He will remain in this condition for seven years in order that he may be made aware that the Most High governs the kingdoms of men (Daniel 4:25). The fact that the stump was left shows that after those seven years his kingdom will be restored to him, once he has come to know that the rule of the heavens applies (Daniel 4:26).

After interpreting the dream, Daniel encourages the king to break from his sins and do righteousness, and to turn from his perversities by showing favor to the afflicted. In so doing, there may be a lengthening of his prosperity (Daniel 4:27).

The LORD arranges Himself in battle against the proud (James 4:6); He places the humble among the high-born men in the kingdoms of men as He sees fit (Daniel 4:17). This was the third and final time that Nebuchadnezzar would meet the God of Daniel. God had made it known to Nebuchadnezzar through Daniel the interpretation of his first dream and its meaning, even though the king had refused to share the dream with any of his wise men, as he demanded they tell him and reveal its meaning. In the second encounter, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were preserved from the king’s wrath, since he had thrown them into a fiery furnace for having refused to worship his image. In both instances, nothing his gods could do could match what happened; yet the king still did not change his prideful attitude.

In the twelfth month the king was walking around in his royal palace talking to himself about his own greatness when the order was given for the kingdom to be separated from him (Daniel 4:29–31).

Why, LORD, do You stand at a distance? Why do You conceal Yourself in times of distress? Psalm 10:1.

The wicked man persecutes the poor and boasts in his soul’s desires. He blesses those who gain by violence; they treat the LORD with contempt (Psalm 10:2–3). The wicked man in his proud face does not seek God. Nor is God in any of his discretions (Psalm 10:4). However, the ways of the wicked man are prospering. God’s judgments appear far above and out of sight as His enemies sneer at them. (Psalm 10:5). The wicked says in his heart, he will not shake, nor will he be in adversity (Psalm 10:6). In the wicked man’s mouth are cursing and deceit. Under his tongue is trouble and perversity (Psalm 10:7). In the hidden places he murders the innocent, and as a lion, he waits to catch the poor and weak (Psalm 10:8–10). In his heart, he says God has forgotten; He hides His face and will never see (Psalm 10:11).

Why do the wicked prosper? Why does God not see their way? In Romans 1:18, Paul explains to us how the wrath of God is manifested today. He references what happened at the Tower of Babel, only 100 years after the worldwide flood that destroyed all the wicked men on the earth. At that time, they all knew God but chose to reject a proper opinion of Him (Romans 1:22–23). In the same manner, men today follow this path. Their rejection of God is without excuse, for His invisible attributes are clearly seen in creation by the things made to understand (Romans 1:20). Because these men do not think that the proper knowledge of God is worthy to retain, God gave them over to the strong desires of their hearts to fill up to the full their judgment (Romans 1:24–31).

God has fixed a day for judgment (Acts 17:31). He knows how to save the righteous and preserve the unrighteous for punishment in the day of judgment (2 Peter 2:9). The LORD laughs at the wicked, for He knows his day is coming (Psalm 37:13).

One of the aspects of God’s care for His children is that He will not allow them to be condemned with the world (1 Corinthians 11:32). Therefore, He child-trains and scourges His children to correct their path (Hebrews 12:6). This child-training produces the peaceable fruits of righteousness in His children (Hebrews 12:11). He does not do this for the unrighteous. Instead, He turns them over to the uncleanness and strong desires of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves (Romans 1:24). Judgment is set for those who follow the path of the wicked and reject God. This includes those who approve of their unrighteous actions (Romans 1:32).

The psalmist’s cry for justice is not unheard. He calls for God to lift His hand and not to forget the afflicted (Psalm 10:12). The wicked spurn God in their hearts, claiming they will not be required to give account for their actions (Psalm 10:13). However, the LORD will find the wicked and destroy them. He will seek them out, and none will remain (Psalm 10:14–18). In the Millennial Kingdom, God will bring all things under subjection to Christ, and righteousness will rule (Ephesians 1:7-15). The psalmist did not know how God would bring about this righteousness; however, he knew it would come (Psalm 10:16–18). God is not slack in His promises as some count slackness, but is long-suffering towards us not determining that certain ones would perish, but that all should come to a change of mind (2 Peter 3:9). Only the fool says in his heart there is no God (Psalm 14:1). The day of judgment is set, for the ruler of this world has been judged (John 16:11).

To beget is an action based on the idea of race or offspring and refers to the male role in procreation; the father begets whereas the mother bears. The word ‘beget’ is the one most commonly used in genealogies to show the relationship between father and son, and it is also applied to indicate a person’s position and the result of certain kinds of behavior.

In Matthew 1:2, it is stated that Abraham begot Isaac, who then begot Jacob. The word ‘begot’ shows the line of descent from father to son. The fact that the genealogy of Christ refers to Mary, not Joseph, as the one who begot Christ is significant, since ‘begot’ is the term mainly used to describe the biological relationship between a man and his children. In Matthew 1:16, the genealogy changes from referring to the father to referring to Mary when it comes to Jesus. This change indicates the way in which Mary became pregnant. Even though she was a virgin, God caused a child to develop in her womb (Luke 1:30–31). The holy thing that she was to bear would provide a body for God the Son (Luke 1:35).

When quoting Psalm 2:7 in Acts 13:33 and announcing to the Jews in Antioch in Pisidia the gospel of the resurrected Christ, Paul aimed to show that God had carried out His promise; the idea of being begotten as a Son refers to Jesus’ position in his human nature before the Father. Paul makes the same quotation in Hebrews 1:5 and 5:5, in order to state that Jesus did not come from the angels but is the second Person of the Godhead (Hebrews 1:8). The term ‘begotten’ in this context does not mean birth but refers to the beginning of a position; Christ is the unique Son, whom the Father has placed as a son (John 1:18).

In John chapter three, Jesus states that a man must be born from above if he is to enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:3). This birth takes place by means of water even the Spirit (John 3:5; cf. John 7:38). A new birth is necessary if a man is to enter the kingdom. While Christ was carrying out his ministry on earth, he spoke about the coming of a new birth and gave those who received him the authority to become children of God (John 1:12). The Christian, since he is under the new covenant, has this new birth (Titus 3:5). It is therefore true that all who are in Christ are legitimate children of God (1 John 3:9). Since the Christian has been born again from above and is thus begotten by water even the Spirit, he is able to manifest righteousness (1 John 2:29) and has overcome the world (1 John 5:4). Even Satan himself cannot affect a Christian because of his new birth (1 John 5:18).

The origin of disputes may also be described by the term beget. The Christian is told to get rid of strong desires which are characteristic of youth, and to strive after righteousness, love, faith, peace and a clean heart. He should avoid foolish and uneducated investigations since such inquiries lead to conflicts (2 Timothy 2:22–23). The kind of inquiry referred to here comes from people who are not genuine learners. They argue about matters of purification, fables and genealogies, all of which are connected with the law and do not result in godliness (1 Timothy 1:4). A person who teaches in opposition to the sound teachings of the Lord and to the instruction concerning godliness is proud and knows nothing; this sort of person is obsessed with investigations and disputes about words. Envy, strife, blasphemy, and malicious evil suspicion arise among those who follow this way (1 Timothy 6:3–4).

Now also, Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes among myriads of his saints, to perform judgment against all, and convict all the ungodly concerning all their ungodly works in which they have acted impiously, and concerning all the harshness in which the ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” Jude 14–15.

From the very beginning of human history, God started to make known what was going to happen. Abel, who was the second person to descend from Adam, was the first prophet (Luke 11:50–51). Even though the details were not made clear, by the time of the seventh descendant of Adam, God had already made known His return. Enoch’s prophecy does not say who these saints will be who come with Him; it only states that myriads of saints will return with him. This is the first mention of the Church and the role Christians will have among the saints (Revelation 19:14).

At the time when the Lord returns, He will judge all the ungodly; this will take place at the end of the Tribulation period, when He establishes His kingdom on the earth. The fact that Enoch speaks of their ungodly works rather than their sins shows that a prior event before the Lord’s return will address sin. Since Christ made a propitiation on the cross for all sins, no one will be judged according to their sins; instead, their works will be assessed, and they will be given compensation for them (1 John 2:2; Revelation 20:13).

Let the one who is orally taught in the word share in all good things with the one who orally instructs (Galatians 6:6).

We have the obligation to pass on to those who teach us the Word by means of oral instruction all that is beneficial; this form of teaching involves learning by hearing and consists in repeating the Word so that the information can be transmitted to others. The things that are to be shared refer to what is advantageous, and this teaching must be carried out with clarity by means of the mind (1 Corinthians 14:19).

The saints in Thessalonica proclaimed the message of the Lord throughout Macedonia and all Achaia and thus in every place where they were known they showed their faith in God (1 Thessalonians 1:8). Since they had changed their way of life, Paul had no need to say anything about them; it was they themselves who made clear the kind of reception he had from them and the way in which they had turned away from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thessalonians 1:9).

In numerous instances the people who teach us like this are pastors or other saints who spend time with us in order to explain God’s word and the truths which are contained in it. The various ways in which good can be demonstrated concerns living out our Christian lives and our fellowship with the Lord. Whenever we love God, goodness is brought about in all areas (Romans 8:28). One element of goodness is to take part in God’s desirous will, as we work out the righteousness He wants for our lives over our own desires (Romans 12:2). We should hold on to what is good and reject what is wrong (Romans 12:21). When we build up one another we are doing good (Romans 15:2). Good things can also refer to physical things (Ephesians 4:28) and to what comes out of our mouths (Ephesians 4:29).

We should make it our aim to share among those who teach us all that is good, whether this involves joining them in fellowship or by giving them physical assistance; all such actions should be carried out by expressing a proper opinion of God through living out our identity in Christ and sharing that with those who teach us.

And God heard the voice of the boy and the angel from God called unto Hagar from the heavens and said to her, “What is it to you, Hagar? Do not fear because God has heard the voice of the boy where he is at. Arise, lift the boy and strengthen him with your hand, because I will set him as a great nation” (Genesis 21:17–18).

This is the second time that Hagar has come into contact with the God of Abraham; the Angel of the LORD spoke to her at the time when she was running away from Sarai. Since Hagar had become pregnant, Sarai had looked down upon her and treated her in a harsh manner (Genesis 16:4–9). In this first encounter, God informs her that she is not to fear for the descendants of her son will increase (Genesis 16:10). She is instructed to name him Ishmael, for he will be like a wild donkey, and return to her mistress (Genesis 16:12).

Now an angel from God speaks with Hagar in her despair. Because Ishmael was mocking Isaac, Sarah had Abraham cast Hagar and her son out. She would not permit the son of her handmaiden to inherit with her son (Genesis 21:10). God instructed Abraham to heed the voice of his wife and send Hagar away. However, because Ishmael is from his seed, He also said He would make a nation from him (Genesis 21:13).

While Hagar and Ishmael were wandering in the desert, they eventually used up the water in their skin. In that area, running out of water meant certain death, so Hagar put her son under a shrub and left him, out of fear that he would die (Genesis 21:14–15). At this time Ishmael was approximately seventeen years old. Then an angel from God spoke to her, giving her reassurance and causing her to see a spring of water nearby (Genesis 21:19).

In Galatians 4:21–31, Paul uses the story of Sarah and Hagar as an allegory, comparing those out from faith with those under the law. Just as Hagar’s son persecuted the son of the promise, so too do those who are trying to be made justified before God by keeping the law persecute those who are out from faith (Galatians 4:29). Christians are not the offspring of the slave woman. The children of Hagar are those under the law from Mount Sinai and born into slavery (Galatians 4:24). Paul then refers to the two Jerusalems to show the difference between those under the Mosaic law and those under grace (Galatians 4:25–26). Since Christians are the children of the free woman, they should not subject themselves to the law. On the contrary, they are to hold firmly to the liberty which they have in Christ (Galatians 5:1). This liberty allows the Christian to live a righteous life without being bound by any part of the law which is used to determine righteousness. The Christian is righteous; hence, he must act in accordance with the person he is in Christ, living out this righteousness and not seeking his own, which is based on works of the law (1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 4:24; Philippians 3:9).

You all take care not to do your alms before men for the purpose of being seen by them. But if otherwise, you do not have a reward alongside your Father in the heavens (Matthew 6:1).

As Jesus continues instructing the Jews on their conduct related to His kingdom, He comes to the giving of alms. The practice of giving alms fulfills the Mosaic law by providing financial and material assistance to those in need (Deuteronomy 15:11). Israelites were legally required to care for the poor (Leviticus 25:35–37). If they publicly displayed their offerings and boasted of their generosity, they would forfeit any reward from their Father in heaven, receiving only human approval instead (Matthew 6:2). Under kingdom law, Israel will also be obligated to provide for those among them who were destitute.

Almsgiving is rooted in obedience to God’s law rather than for a public display. Accordingly, when giving alms, one should act discreetly, ensuring that no action is performed for the sake of recognition (Matthew 6:3). When almsgiving is conducted in faith and without self-promotion, a reward is promised from the Father (Matthew 6:4).

The practice of almsgiving did not carry over into the dispensation of grace, as it is associated with the Mosaic law. Christians are instructed to provide for fellow believers in need (1 John 3:17). This responsibility is prioritized toward members of the faith community rather than the broader world (Galatians 6:10). Genuine love for God is demonstrated by seeking the well-being of other Christians (1 John 4:21). However, this principle does not allow individuals to exploit the generosity of others; those unwilling to work should not receive support (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

A universal principle underlies the motivation for performing good deeds. Christians are not called to obey only when others are watching (Ephesians 5:5). Instead, they are to serve from the soul, fulfilling God’s desirous will as service to the Lord rather than to people (Ephesians 5:6–7). Serving from the soul implies finding joy in the act itself. Since Christians are not under the Mosaic law, their giving reflects who they are in Christ. The Lord values a cheerful giver; thus, believers are encouraged to prioritize caring for fellow Christians and, from their surplus, determine what to give not out of necessity or need, but with a cheerful heart (2 Corinthians 9:7). In contrast to the Mosaic law, and Christ’s instructions to the Jews in Matthew 6:1–5; the reason the Christian cares for others is motivated by love rather than obligation.

I know your works, and where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is. And you have held strong My name, and did not deny My faith in the days in which Antipas, My faithful martyr, was killed alongside you, where Satan dwells (Revelation 2:13).

The state’s role in the Church was the main characteristic of the Church on earth between AD 312 and AD 606. Christianity was made the official religion of the state; consequently, it was based in the same place as Satan’s throne, since Satan is the ruler of the world system (Ephesians 2:2). In AD 313 Constantine laid the foundation for the state to effectively control the Church by bringing to an end state-supported persecution and by giving it imperial protection, tax exemptions, and the means to rebuild. Moreover, he settled ecclesiastical disputes at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, thus strengthening the government’s influence over Church affairs.

During the time of Antipas, the Church held strong to the name of Christ. Antipas is a word that expresses a position like a father. During this time of martyrdom, the saints remained strong in Christ’s character.

Because of the influence of the government, the teaching of Balaam became established among the assembly. Balaam enjoyed the pay that came from doing wrong (2 Peter 2:15). He taught Balak, who desired that Israel should be cursed, to create a scandal among the sons of Israel with a view to causing God to destroy them (Revelation 2:14). The method of Balaam is still having an effect on the Church today. It is not now the dominant influence it was during the time of the assembly at Pergamum. It is a doctrine consisting in selling the saints for the purpose of gaining political influence and money (Jude 11). The people who currently adhere to this doctrine are pastors and leaders who use their position in the Church to obtain political power and financial advantages from the government.

Alongside the teaching of Balaam, some members of the community also support the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. These two teachings go hand in hand. The teaching of the Nicolaitans consists in separating the clergy from the people, a principle on which Catholicism is based. This easily leads to the doctrine of Balaam, since the pastors come to be regarded as possessing a special position of privilege and governmental authority within the Church. Yet it is expressly stated that pastors should not rule over their flocks (1 Peter 5:3); Christ is the head of the Church, not the bishops or the elders (1 Peter 5:2).

John began his message to the Pergamos assembly by describing Christ as the one who has a two-edged sword. The assembly is warned to change their mind about the doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans, or else Christ will fight against them (Revelation 2:16). Since the assembly did not pay attention to Christ’s warning, the Islamic raids that began in 630 AD due to the weakening of the Roman Empire were permitted to have a great effect on the Church.

Christ gives a promise to the overcomer. Overcomers are those who base their salvation on Christ’s death on behalf of sins and His resurrection three days later (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). Each overcomer will be given the hidden manna, which is knowledge for the saints who reside in heaven, waiting for the resurrection (2 Corinthians 12:4). For each of the Church saints, Jesus has a specific name. A white stone—a stone used to indicate a judicial token of vindication—with this name on it will be given to each of them (Revelation 2:17).