Those of you who’ve spent many years in your Bible know that the Book of Daniel is referred to as the “back bone of Bible prophecy”. All end-time events, especially end times prophetic events [referred to as ‘Eschatology’] find their foundation laid out on the pages of Daniel. There are numerous additional books [Genesis, Ezekiel, Revelation, Amos, Joel, Acts, Matthew, Zephaniah and Zechariah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others] that contribute heavily to that subject – but Daniel is the road map.

For those who have not yet had a chance to learn this – the book of Daniel presents us with several “end time visions” and events which give the sequence of what is coming. These tell us what God IS going to do and how and when. It is a repeating message primarily focusing on the tribulation, rise and fall of Satan, the 1000 year “millennial reign of Christ” and events to follow. In Daniel 6:1-24 the sequence takes the form of a lion’s den. Daniel, a JEWISH prophet has garnered the hatred of the resident big-wigs (Daniel 6:1-4) who were the local gentile’s surrounding Daniel. 
That’s interestingly the same as it is in Israel today by the way. The countries surrounding Israel (all of whom are not surprisingly Islamic) hate Israel and want her dead. So too in our text the local trouble makers hate Daniel and want him dead. Curious how accurate the Bible is isn’t it? So they cook up a plan to get Daniel’s goose cooked once and for all, sneak past the king, and if you read the chapter, you know Daniel ends up with a death sentence on his head of spending a night locked up in a lion’s den. Note carefully that Daniel (prophetically in this case Israel) is Jewish, NOT GENTILE}. The tribulation is for the Jews – not the church. Certainly the world will be devastated by the impact of the tribulation plagues and punishments – but the plan is the destruction of the Jews.

So Daniel is escorted to and locked into the lion’s den. The plotting scheming gentile’s think they’ve got Daniel right in the inescapable palm of their hands and are sure he’s dead meat! In the future, as Ezekiel 37-38-39 said the diabolical plotters will all get together {Russia, Iran, Iraq, Ethiopia, Libya, Turkey, Armenia, Saudi Arabia…et al} in like manner plotting Israel’s destruction. Take a look at Zechariah 14 and Revelation 16-19]. But when they get to the lion’s den first thing the next morning expecting to find Daniel eaten alive they find instead old Daniel rubbing a lion’s head, drinking coffee and waiting to have a sausage biscuit with king Darius. Genesis, Revelation, Zechariah, Ezekiel all report the same event… Daniel will be saved out of that lion’s den. Then those plotters and schemers will be themselves destroyed in that same lion’s den. 
Anti-Israel lunatics today are trying their best to get the uneducated, unwise and ignorant to join them in condemning Daniel (Israel), to help them plot against him…to help turn public opinion against Israel and get the world ready to throw them into the coming lion’s den. Here at Calvary we have not forgotten that God said of Israel “them that bless thee will I bless and them that curse thee I will curse”. 

In the Bible in Acts chapter 26 the Apostle Paul is standing before king Agrippa and here he gives an account of himself unto Agrippa. I encourage you to read the chapter, especially verses 1-29 before continuing in this article. Paul’s telling of his story was so plainly honest and stirring that when he finished even king Agrippa exclaimed “…Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian”. “ALMOST”; such a sad word in this case. Several of the men in our church are skilled at hunting and fishing. They have amazingly real-looking bass and deer decorating their walls to commemorate their skills. One in particular has zebra, gazelle, kudu, alligator, buffalo, elk and moose on his walls. Each one looks so real you ‘almost’ expect them to take off running any moment. They look ALMOST alive; as if frozen in time, ready to break free of that stillness and dash away any second. But then reality settles in and you realize ‘no, they will not dash away’. The fantastically real looking ducks won’t explode skyward ever again. The Bass on the wall plaque wouldn’t notice if you put a whole cup of ‘red wiggler worms’ right in his plastic mouth. Why not? Because ALMOST alive is totally dead. ALMOST real is the same as completely fake. When a Doctor tells a waiting family “we ALMOST saved his life”, what he just said is “we completely failed to save his life…he’s dead”. {By the way I know a Doctor who has never yet lost a single patient who came to him}! You’ve heard the old saying “close counts in horseshoe’s and hand-grenades”; let me add that when it comes to being “SAVED” by grace through faith [Ephesians 2:8-9] you either ARE or you’re not. There IS NO ALMOST saved. Imagine if you and I took that trophy bass mount down from the wall in my friend’s house and we took it to a pond and laid it there in the water. If we get a few lawn chairs and watch it all day, will it swim away? Will it slowly revive and start flailing? No, of course not. If I tapped your hand and said “hey look…its ALMOST moving”; wouldn’t you put your hand to my forehead to check my temperature? NO!! It isn’t ALMOST moving. It will never do so again short of a complete miracle from God to make it alive again. IF you are wondering what salvation is like – THAT’S IT! It is like the dead being made ALIVE again! It is as if the Lord Jesus Christ told them to roll away the stone from your tomb and called your name and said “COME FORTH” [John 11:43]. Tell me ma’am, are you tired of being ‘almost’ a Christian? Tell me Sir, are you tired of ‘almost’ having a relationship with God? Calvary Baptist Church has the real thing for real people who want a real Christianity. Bring your family and come see what it’s like!