(dramatic music) - In the year 605 BC, a great warrior king named
Nebuchadnezzar led his army through the grand Ishtar Gate of Babylon and struck out westward
on a mission of conquest. After defeating the
Egyptian army at Carchemish, Nebuchadnezzar turned his
attention to Jerusalem. The Babylonians besieged
and plundered the city, looting the temple and carrying off many of
the sacred, golden vessels. Daniel, a young prince, was captured and with the cream of the city's youth, he was carried off to
Babylon as a war hostage where he remained in exile
for the rest of his life. The life of a hostage isn't
easy, it's fraught with danger. There were trials, tests and persecution. He was threatened by death at every turn. But for 70 years, Daniel
not only survived, but thrived in the most
difficult circumstances through an adventure of
faith, intrigue, tyranny and miracles. By a remarkable turn of
events, Daniel the hostage, became Daniel, the prime
minister of Babylon and the king's most trusted advisor. In fact, he prospered under
the reign of four kings. How did he do it? How did he survive and what's the secret
of his inner courage? What kept him going year
after year separated from his home and family? Well today, we're gonna take a closer look at this young hostage in the Middle East who managed to survive
70 years of captivity, and his secret of inner spiritual strength will provide us with the key to surviving the challenges of modern life and more importantly, the end time. (sorrowful music) (explosion) (bullets popping) On the 7th of March,
1984, Jeremy Levin's world was turned upside down. (machine gun clacking) He was kidnapped by Shiite Muslims while walking to work in Beirut, Lebanon. A gun was shoved into his waist and he was forced into a car. He was threatened with instant
death if he opened his eyes. Jeremy was the Beirut
bureau chief for CNN. He was blindfolded, beaten and interrogated in a local apartment. Then he was gagged, wrapped from head to foot in packing tape and driven from Beirut to the Beqaa Valley, several hours away. There, he was kept blindfolded and chained to a wall in
a tiny, unheated room. He never saw another
human face for 343 days and the only time he had contact
with another human being, was when he was escorted blindfolded to the bathroom once a day. He felt isolated, helpless and afraid. Crouched in the corner
of a windowless room, hour after hour, month after month, Jeremy desperately needed to talk, but he was afraid that if
just talked with himself, he'd go crazy so he considered the
idea of talking to God. At first, this made
him feel uncomfortable. Although he was the grandson of a rabbi, Jeremy had decided long before that, he would believe only in concrete things, things he could touch and feel. He had rejected his
Jewish religious heritage. But there was so little to touch and feel in that lonely cell, that Jeremy eventually reached out to God and he began talking. Soon, he realised that he was having a meaningful,
two-way conversation. He tried hard to remember the bit of religious instruction
he picked up in his youth. He also remembered hearing
about the teachings of Jesus and finally, everything
began to fit together and make sense. He realised that Jesus
Christ was truly exceptional. And that's when Jeremy faced a big choice. He'd made the leap of faith. Now, how was he going to live? Well, Jeremy decided, as he later wrote. - [Narrator] "You can't play games "by assuming the external trappings, "while holding back
from total acceptance." - This tough newsman,
a former atheist, said. - [Narrator] "I decided it was
necessary to accept it all. "It had to be all or nothing." - And it was 'all' for Jeremy Levin. His life was changed. Eventually, he managed
to escape his captives and was reunited with his family. But he'd already experienced an even more significant reunion. Jeremy didn't just survive the ordeal, he came out a new man, a
new man in Jesus Christ. Now, you and I may never be
held hostage by terrorists, like Jeremy Levin was, but each of faces difficult and discouraging situations of our own. How can we successfully
endure the challenges we face? Well, to understand more
specifically how we can survive and even thrive in the midst of trials, let's go back and take a look
at another Hebrew hostage, a young man held captive in Babylon. The challenge this hostage faced, was rather different
from Levin's experience. It wasn't a meagre diet or
primitive living conditions that threatened to wear him
down, it was the very opposite. A table absolutely loaded with
the best Babylon could offer. Daniel's captives were trying to win him
offer to their side. This is how it all began. (sorrowful music) When the young Hebrew walked through the splendid gates of Babylon, as one of a trail of captives following behind victorious
King Nebuchadnezzar, he heard this kind of mockery, "If your God's the true God,
why is Jerusalem in ruins? "Why couldn't He protect you from us? "Why did He allow you to
go into captivity anyway?" These must have been extremely difficult questions to answer. After all, the Babylonians had sacked Jehovah's sacred temple and brought its precious
vessels to this heathen city. It seemed as if the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob couldn't even defend
His own city, Jerusalem. I believe these questions are
very relevant for us today. We're living in a world
in which religious values and secular values increasingly clash. And all too often, the
secular values are winning. The spiritual seems more
and more crowded out by other voices, other images. And yes, sometimes our culture seems almost hostile to religion. In some ways, those with
religious principles, seem like aliens in a strange land. It's my conviction that
this tension, this conflict, will increase, not decrease,
at times goes along. In fact, I believe it will soon
come to a tremendous climax as we near the end of Earth's history. The astounding Biblical prophecies
of Daniel and Revelation, predict that God's people
will face captivity and even imprisonment
in Earth's last hours. So the question of how
to survive as a hostage, is very relevant to anyone
interested in surviving in the time of the end. Everyone will have to face that challenge. Where is your God? If He's so powerful, how come
you're in so much trouble? Why can't He defend His
people in the real world? The Book of Daniel contains
some remarkable prophecies about how history will come to a climax. It gives us a picture of last-day
events, but it does more. I believe this book shows us
how to live in the end time. The stories of the Book of Daniel reveal the character
qualities of faith, courage, prayer and perseverance necessary for living just before
the coming of Christ. Nebuchadnezzar had a special strategy to win the allegiance of
these Hebrew captives. It included a process of
reeducation or brainwashing. We read about it in Daniel 1:3-5. Here, the Scripture's state it succinctly. Listen to this in Daniel 1:3-5. "Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, "chief of his court officials, "to bring in some of the Israelites "from the royal family and the nobility. "They were to be trained for three years "and after that, they were
to enter the king's service." Nebuchadnezzar wanted to turn the best of the Hebrew young men from hostages into civil servants. They were to be educated
in the customs, practises and principles of Babylon. They were to study its science, its religion, its philosophy. And finally, when they'd
been thoroughly indoctrinated and brainwashed, they were to be sent back to their nation to rule for Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar didn't place Babylonians as rulers over conquered territories. That would only encourage rebellion. Instead, he selected native
peoples from these places to be trained and brainwashed in Babylon. So they would rule
their own captive cities as his puppets, of course. Surprisingly enough, this is the situation many of God's people
will find themselves in, as we near the close of time. Satan, the enemy of God,
is bent on world conquest. His kingdom is in mortal
combat with the kingdom of God. It's a war between the forces of good and the forces of evil. In an attempt to destroy
our inner longings for God, Satan attempts to capture our
thoughts through the senses. He's working to submerge our world in a thoroughly secular culture. We see it everywhere. From the agnosticism of much of Europe, to the growing materialism of Asia and to the erosion of spiritual
values in the Western world, including Australia and New Zealand. We are being indoctrinated
in a secular worldview, a secular philosophy,
a secular way of life. So, how do we resist
this pervasive influence? How do we stand for the kingdom of God in the midst of a culture
that's often hostile to it? Well, amazingly enough, Daniel succeeded in doing exactly that,
against all the odds. He thrived in a hostile,
and secular, environment. After all the attempts to reprogram him, his faith was still standing, his values were still standing tall. And I believe that this young
Hebrew has a lot to tell us about succeeding spiritually
in a secular environment. Watch as Daniel, a
captive in a strange land, gives us the important first clue. As soon as Daniel and his
companions reached Babylon, the pressure to conform began to build. We can see that in the new names given to these Hebrew captives. When a Hebrew mother named her child, the name most often stood for character qualities she
desired the child to have, or some significant
aspect of Hebrew history. The name constantly reminded the child of his allegiance to the true God. Daniel's name, in Hebrew,
means God is my judge. This young man was continually reminded that he lived before the
God, who sees all things. But the head of the eunuchs in Babylon gave him a new name, Belteshazzar. This name means, may the
goddess Bel, protect the king. His friend, Hananiah, whose
name means, the Lord is gracious was given the new name Shadrach, meaning inspiration of the sun. Mishael, whose name means, godlike, was now called Meshach,
meaning like the god Aku. And Azariah whose name
means, God is my helper, was given the name Abednego.
meaning servant of Nebo. Nebuchadnezzar wanted these
Israelites to forget their God and their Hebrew heritage, so he gave them names
representing the gods of Babylon. We can see from this that Nebuchadnezzar was bent
on fashioning loyal Babylonians from those vulnerable, young hostages. Now we come to the first great challenge. Daniel and his companions were ushered into the banquet
hall of Nebuchadnezzar. The table was spread with a rich variety of Babylonian delicacies. Candlelight shimmered and
danced off the golden bowls. The guests were seated
and invited to partake. That's when Daniel faced a choice. There were two problems with the food. First, it had been offered to idols and Daniel believed, that to eat it, would be to participate in
the worship of those idols, something that he was continually
being pressured to do. Secondly, according to
God's clear instructions, much of the food was unclean,
it was not to be eaten. Staring at this tempting feast, Daniel must have felt a tremendous urge to just go along with the crowd. The glory's of Babylon dazzled his senses. The finest wines of the land beckoned him. Why keep hanging onto
his religious scruples? Surely, a few rules could be just winked at
in this foreign culture. For a hostage who'd seen the
land of the true God desolated, it would have been very
easy to cast his luck with the new power, the new
dominant culture of Babylon. But this young captive
made a remarkable decision. It's recorded in Daniel 1:8. "But Daniel resolved not to defile himself "with the royal food and wine, "and he asked the chief
official for permission "not to defile himself this way." Daniel resolved. What a story, is contained in these words. Here is a decision that would
reverberate through history. Its lessons would echo and re-echo throughout the centuries. Daniel made his choice. He would be faithful to the
Lord of Heaven and Earth, even as a captive to another monarch. He would honour God in
all the details of life, even while surrounded
by a heathen culture. It might cost him his life, but nevertheless, he
would be faithful to God. Remember, Daniel resolved. He determined to be faithful to God, long before the test of the banquet. He resolved ahead of time. He had made up his mind that
he wasn't going to sell out in order to have it easy in Babylon. He wasn't going to sell
out his conscience cheaply. He was going to remain a
child of the living God. He was not going to let
this heathen culture take away his faith, piece by piece. That's how it usually happens, you know. The enemy typically doesn't try
to overwhelm us all at once, he just tries to chip away at
our faith, a little at a time. "This practise isn't
so important," he says, or, "You can live without that belief." Listen, I think it boils down to this. People who flourish in the end times, will people who know who they are, people how are secure in
their relationship with God. If Daniel had been embarrassed about his identity as a Hebrew, if he'd tried to hide
his religious scruples, then he probably would've given in and disappeared into Babylonian history. But he wasn't embarrassed, far from it. Daniel was confident
that his Lord knew best. People who survive at the end times, will be people who know,
and love, God's truth. They would rather die than
bring dishonour to God. When Daniel voiced his objections to the food at the banquet,
the official was worried about what King Nebuchadnezzar would say. He feared that Daniel and his companions would start looking rather scrawny if they didn't eat the
delicacies spread before them. But here's where Daniel
showed his confidence. He made the following proposal, recorded in Daniel 1:12-13. "Please test your servants for ten days. "Give us nothing but vegetables to eat "and water to drink. "Then compare our appearance "with that of the young
men who eat the royal food, "and treat your servants in
accordance with what you see." Daniel believed that the principles God
had laid out in Scripture were for the benefit of mankind, and he was bold enough
to propose an experiment, a 10-day test. He and his Hebrew friends would be fed the simple, Judean diet, probably of fruits, nuts,
grains and vegetables. The others, would have the rich, spicy diet, heavy with meats. This must have been the world's first, comparative dietary study, and Scripture records the results. It says that, "At the end of 10 days, "the Hebrews looked healthier
and better nourished "than any of the young men
who ate the royal food." And so, Daniel was able
to continue abiding by the principles of God's word. He continued being
faithful in the details. Why? Well, not because he had compromised, but because he had boldly
issued a challenge. He offered to demonstrate
that God's way was best. He was confident in the
principles of his faith. That's the kind of Godly
boldness we need in our times. Are you committed to God's truth? Are you convinced that
there's no better way to live? How is it in your life right
now, with the little things? When someone makes the racist
slur or an obscene joke do you just go along? When you're offered alcohol,
or maybe some drugs, do you just try to conform? What's filling your computer screen? What are you feeding your mind with? You cannot develop spiritual thoughts if you feed your mind
with the world's agenda. Daniel was a hostage with a mission. Not just to survive, but
to be faithful to God. Daniel resolved, Daniel
decided ahead of time. No matter where, no matter
when, God's way is best. You know, in the time of the end, great pressure will be brought to bear on every man, woman and child who attempts to serve the true God. Have you decided, in your heart, that the only thing that really matters is not what other people
think, but what God thinks? Have you resolved to be faithful
to Him, unconditionally? Daniel made that decision, and for him, that turned disaster into triumph. The Book of Daniel opens
with a great disaster, the destruction of Jerusalem,
the defeat of God's people. But soon, through the
faithfulness of a few Hebrews, we see a hint of God's triumph. Listen to what happened when they were brought
before Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 1:19-20. "The king talked with them "and found none equal "to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "so they entered the king's service. "In every matter of wisdom "and understanding about
which the king questioned, "he found them ten times
better than all the magicians "and enchanters in his whole kingdom." The four Hebrews were
still held in Babylon, they were still surrounded by
an alien and secular culture and they were called
into the king's service. But here's the difference. They didn't go in as Babylonians, they didn't go in as idol worshipers, they went in as representatives of the God of Heaven and Earth, and as such, they would have a tremendous influence in that great kingdom. They retained the unique wisdom that has, as its source, the fear of God. These men could never
have been used for good if they started discarding
their faith, piece by piece. They would never have
stood head and shoulders above all the magicians and
enchanters of the whole kingdom. Daniel and his companions show us how to stand in the end times. They resolved ahead of time to be faithful to God, no matter what. They determined to choose God's principles over a secular culture and they were confident
that God's way is the best. Daniel chose not to indulge
in the king's delicacies because he was looking
forward to another table, another banquet. The Book of Revelation tells us about the marriage supper of the Lamb, which will be celebrated when God's people are
welcomed into Heaven. All God's faithful children will sit down with Him to a great feast. It'll be like a family reunited, at last, gathered around a table of love. That banquet is worth waiting for, it's worth being faithful for. Will you determine in your heart to be there for that
banquet, no matter what? It's so important to
have a strong purpose, to be able to stand alone. Forces are building in our world that will soon bear down on all those who want to be loyal to God. We need to determine, in
our hearts, ahead of time to be faithful to Him, to demonstrate that His
way is, indeed, the best. And we can have confidence
that He will make us Daniels. He will help us to be overcomers, instead of just conformers. He'll enable us to stand. Will you dare to be a Daniel? Why not make that decision
right now, as we pray? Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for giving us the example of Daniel in the courts of Babylon. Thank you for your promise to stand by us as we face the challenges of life. We want to trust you more completely today and our aim is to please you
and always stand true for you. Accept our commitment now, in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. The story of Daniel, the
captive, has encouraged and inspired people all over the world. He lived in a high-pressure environment, a hostile, very secular world, yet he rose to incredible
heights in an alien land. And he did it, by remaining faithful to his values and principles and above all, faithful to God. We can feel overwhelmed when struggling with
the challenges of life in a hostile and secular world, but if you're looking for
ways to live a better life and find inner peace and true happiness, if you'd like to get closer to God, then I'd like to recommend
a free gift we have for all our viewers today. It's the free Bible reading guide on the Bible, Book of Daniel. This is our gift to you
and is absolutely free. There are no costs or
obligations, whatsoever. So make the most of this
wonderful opportunity to receive the gift we have for you today. Here's the information you need. - [Narrator] Phone, or text us, at 0436 333 555 in Australia, or 020 422 2042 in New Zealand or visit our website www.tij.tv to request today's free offer and we'll send it to you
totally free of charge and with no obligation. So don't delay, call or text 0436 333 555 in Australia, or 020 422 2042 in New Zealand or visit our website to
request today's offer. Write to us at GPO Box 274, Sydney, New South Wales 2001, Australia or PO Box 76673, Manukau, Auckland 2241, New Zealand. Don't delay, call or text us now. If you've enjoyed today's
journey to ancient Babylon, and our reflections on the
life and times of Daniel, then be sure to join us again next week when we will share another
of life's journeys together. Until then, remember
the ultimate destination of life's journey. Now, I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth and God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death,
nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. (mellow music) (dramatic music)
