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God’s Kingdom Now Rules!Enjoy Life Forever!—An Interactive Bible Course
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1. What does Bible prophecy indicate?
The Bible book of Daniel indicated that God’s Kingdom would begin ruling at the end of a period called “seven times.” (Daniel 4:16, 17) Centuries later, Jesus referred to that same time period as “the appointed times of the nations,” and he taught that it had not yet ended. (Luke 21:24) As we will see, the seven times ended in the year 1914.
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God’s Kingdom Now Rules!Enjoy Life Forever!—An Interactive Bible Course
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DIG DEEPER
Examine how we know that the Kingdom started ruling in 1914 and what this should mean for us.
4. The Bible’s chronology points to 1914
God caused King Nebuchadnezzar of ancient Babylon to have a prophetic dream. That dream and the interpretation Daniel gave indicate that it applies both to Nebuchadnezzar’s rulership and to God’s Kingdom.—Read Daniel 4:17.a
Read Daniel 4:20-26, and then use the chart to answer the following questions:
(A) What did Nebuchadnezzar see in his dream?—See verses 20 and 21.
(B) What would happen to the tree?—See verse 23.
(C) What would happen at the end of the “seven times”?—See verse 26.
How the Tree Dream Relates to God’s Kingdom
THE PROPHECY (Daniel 4:20-36)
Rulership
(A) An enormous tree
Rulership interrupted
(B) “Chop down the tree,” and let “seven times pass”
Rulership restored
(C) “Your kingdom will be yours again”
In the first fulfillment of this prophecy . . .
(D) Whom did the tree represent?—See verse 22.
(E) How was his rulership interrupted?—Read Daniel 4:29-33.
(F) What happened to Nebuchadnezzar at the end of the “seven times”?—Read Daniel 4:34-36.
FIRST FULFILLMENT
Rulership
(D) Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon
Rulership interrupted
(E) After 606 B.C.E., Nebuchadnezzar loses his sanity and is unable to rule for seven literal years
Rulership restored
(F) Nebuchadnezzar regains his sanity and begins ruling again
In the second fulfillment of this prophecy . . .
(G) Whom did the tree represent?—Read 1 Chronicles 29:23.
(H) How was their rulership interrupted? How do we know that it was still interrupted while Jesus was on earth?—Read Luke 21:24.
(I) When and where was this rulership restored?
SECOND FULFILLMENT
Rulership
(G) Israelite kings who represent God’s rulership
Rulership interrupted
(H) Jerusalem is destroyed, interrupting the line of Israelite kings for 2,520 years
Rulership restored
(I) Jesus begins ruling in heaven as King of God’s Kingdom
How long are the seven times?
Some portions of the Bible help us to understand other portions. For example, the Bible book of Revelation says that three and a half times equal 1,260 days. (Revelation 12:6, 14) Seven times is double that number, or 2,520 days. Sometimes the Bible uses a day to represent a year. (Ezekiel 4:6) That is the case with the seven times mentioned in the book of Daniel—they represent 2,520 years.
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