The MAJOR & MINOR Prophets - The 16 Writing Prophets Of The Hebrew Canon

God not only had a message for Israel but also all the nations and their leaders. Bringing WKH -HZV WR %DE\ORQ KDG D GXDO SXUSRVH LQ *RG·V PLQG cure the Jews of their idolatrous ways and make a major statement to the Gentile leaders and nations. Babylon was the hotbed of idolatrous practices, the most unlikely place for God to send His people ² especially with their proclivity for idolatry. And who would have thought that *RG·V L dentity could ever be proclaimed in such a place? Especially since the Babylonians now thought that their gods were greater and stronger than the captured Israelites. These foreign peoples reasoned very simply: they gauged the gods of nations by the relative strength of armies, victories and prosperity. Therefore, these captive Jews had a poor, insignificant god. Into this hostile environment God brought a godly teenager whose determination was to serve the true and living God regardless of what might happen. This he did ² for eighty some years -- standing fearlessly and living purely as a Diplomat-Prophet before world leaders, national leaders, the Babylonian people and his own beloved, captive people. Can you imagine how these stories of the miracles and predictions of the Jewish God through Daniel and others would race through the palace corridors and finally circulate with unbelievable effect among the common people ² even carried by royal couriers and caravan traders alike throughout the known world. Not just the stories, but consider the impact that these profound testimonies by world leaders had. But, it apparently was momentary impact and did not initiate any great spiritual revival among the Gentile nations, but it did raise the level of esteem for the Jewish people.

1. Nebuchadnezzar after Daniel interpreted his dream:

´7UXO\ \RXU *RG LV WKH *RG RI JRGV WKH /RUG RI NLQJV DQG D UHYHDOHU RI VHFUHWV since you FRXOG UHYHDO WKLV VHFUHWµ (2:47).

2. Nebuchadnezzar after the three Hebrew men came out of the fiery furnace:

´ Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His VHUYDQWV ZKR WUXVWHG LQ +LP DQG WKH\ KDYH IUXVWUDWHG WKH NLQJ·V ZRUG DQG \LHOGHG WKHLU ERGLHV , that they should not serve or worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this µ ( 3:28-30). 22 ´1HEXFKDGQH]]DU WKH NLQJ WR DOO SHRSOHV QDWLRQV DQG ODQJXDJHV that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you . I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me. How great are His signs, and how mighty His wonders! His NLQJGRP LV DQ HYHUODVWLQJ NLQJGRP DQG +LV GRPLQLRQ LV IURP JHQHUDWLRQ WR JHQHUDWLRQµ (4:1-3).

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22 +DOOH\¶V %LEOH +DQGERRN S ³$FFRUGLQJ WR WKH 6HSWXDJLQW WKLV LQFLGHQW RFFXUUHG LQ WKH th year of Nebuc KDGQH]]DU¶V reign, after Daniel and his three friends had been in Babylon about 20 years. That was the same year that Nebuchadnezzar had EXUQHG -HUXVDOHP % & ´ 7KLV HYHQW ZDV ³WR GHPRQVWUDWH EHIRUH WKH DVVHPEOHG GLJQLWDULHV RI WKH IDU -flung empire, the Power RI WKH *RG RI -HUXVDOHP RYHU WKH ERDVWHG JRGV RI %DE\ORQ ´

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