Trial of the Saints E-Book

Rev. Daniel G. Caram

• Herausgeber: Zion Christian Publishers
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

The book of Daniel gives us a picture of the types of trials that shall purify the Church before the Second Coming. The trials in Daniel are exaggerated beyond what the ordinary saint generally faces; and yet they are not beyond what the Church must endure as the age concludes. Yet, when it is all said and done, the Lord will present to Himself a Glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle.Rev. Caram seeks to dispel the misunderstandings regarding trials by examining what they produce in the life of a believer. The end product of trials (to the faithful contestants) is enrichment, promotion, and honor. As the last trial concludes, the saints possess the kingdom. Let us be one of them!

Leseprobe

Trial of the Saints

Ten Trials from the Book of Daniel

Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand….

“Trial of the Saints”

Ten trials from the book of Daniel

© 2011 Daniel G. Caram

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the

King James Version Bible unless otherwise stated.

Published by Zion Christian Publishers

Reprinted in April 2015 Version 1.1

Published as an e-book on October 2017

in the United States of America

E-book ISBN 1-59665-699-9

For more information, please contact:

Zion Christian Publishers

A Zion Fellowship ® Ministry

P.O. Box 70

Waverly, New York 14892

Phone: [phone]

Toll free: 1-877-768-7466

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to acknowledge the following :

Mary Humphreys for her proficiency in the editing of this book.

Carla Borges, Hannah Schrock for their work in formatting this book.

FOREWORD

Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand….

Several years ago, as I was musing through the book of Daniel, I felt the Spirit of the Lord begin to quicken certain truths that I had never really focused upon before. At the time, I was teaching a New Testament course in Latin America – totally unrelated to the book of Daniel.  

Daniel is an end-time book, filled with prophetic chronological events and yet, it was not the eschatological truths that seemed to capture my attention, but rather the array of trials. The book of Daniel gives us a multicolored assortment of trials that seem to inculcate the whole book. As I was ruminating over some of these trials in my mind I began to see some new truths emerge.  For example, there is a progression to these trials: In chapter one, Daniel and his friends are tested over their diet.  In the last chapter (Chapter 12), there is a trial beyond anything that the world has ever known.

If Daniel and his friends had not passed the first test, which concerned the Levitical diet, they would never have progressed to trial number two.  In a sense, all of these trials are preparing the contestant for the ultimate challenge.  Perhaps the word contestant seems a trite expression and yet the apostle Paul tells us that we are competing for an incorruptible crown.  The Christian life is filled with tests that will challenge our faith.  The overcomer receives the crown; and as we shall also see in Daniel, there was a promotion or a merit of distinction or a reward at the conclusion of the test.  We do not receive a crown for accepting Christ as our Saviour; we receive a crown for finishing our course, which may include many hurdles (2 Tim 4:7-8).  

The man Daniel has always been rather special to me because my mother named me after this great man.  In fact, my mother would sing to me a little chorus from the old hymn “Dare to be a Daniel.”  That was well over sixty years ago.

Israel, a Sign

Another thing that my mother instilled within my heart was that we (my brothers included) were born for this generation; to see the fulfillment of things written.  One of the major signs of the end of the age (the Church Age), would be the restoration of Israel to statehood.  This took place in 1948.  Christ indicated in His Olivet discourse that this generation (the generation that was born at that time) would not pass away until all came to pass:

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (Mat 24:32-34).

*The fig tree is Israel’s symbol.

Daniel lived at the time that Judah lost its sovereignty (586 BC); and it was never regained until 1948.  Israel was always under the boot of some alien power.  However, Israel had to regain its national identity in order to fulfill the end-time plan.  The final test of the nations is centered upon Israel.  The sheep nations will support Israel’s sovereignty; the goat nations will denounce her (Matt 25:32-33).

Trial of the Saints

The interesting thing about a trial is that everyone involved is on trial as well.  The contestant is being tried; all of those who are fomenting the trial are also being tried; and all those who witness the trial are on trial as well.  (See 2 Thess 1:4-9.)  Job’s friends were on trial as well as Job.

The Scriptures prove that trials are for the purpose of purifying the saint – the wise shall understand this!  I have singled out ten trials in the book of Daniel that I believe will help us to appreciate the benefit of a trial.  They will also help us (by God’s grace) to endure the test that is coming to try the whole earth.  If we are not faithful in the smaller trials then we surely will not stand in the great trial.  As the prophet Jeremiah once said: “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?” (Jer 12:5)

God does not give Job-size trials to the new convert.  God carefully monitors a trial.  As the prophet Malachi said, He sits as a refiner of silver, carefully monitoring the heat and the purifying of the metal.  As soon as the refiner sees his reflection in the silver, the silver is removed from the heat.  The apostle Paul also states that God will never give us a trial or a test beyond our capability:

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Cor 10:13).

The Purpose of a Trial

There are a number of purposes for trials: Perhaps the trial is to reveal something in our lives that God wants to cleanse us from.  Perhaps the trial is to adjust something in our character, or to show us the stuff that we are really made of.  Perhaps it is to qualify us for a greater place.  Or, perhaps we need a good trial just to teach us a lesson – something that we will not want to repeat.

Trials come in many forms (and for many of the above reasons):

* Temptation

* Crisis

* Pain/suffering

* Loss

* Shortage

* Enemies/persecutors

* Circumstances that deny or contradict

* Betrayal

* Perhaps in the form of crucial decisions

* Perhaps as a challenge to our loyalties

Ten trials from the Book of Daniel

In consideration of these various trials, it is our earnest desire to bring them from out of the abstract into present tense relevance.  We may not literally be thrown into a lion’s den, and yet we may dwell with people who would like to tear us to pieces.  As David said in Psalm 57:4: “My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.”

We may not literally be thrown into a fiery furnace, yet Peter warns us not to be surprised at the fiery trial that shall try us (1 Pet 4:12, Ex 4:20).  There are indeed situations in life that may even make death seem attractive.  All of the testings in life are preparing us for the martyr’s crown – there are many martyrs in history that did not literally die.  Daniel and his friends prove the point!

Let us receive courage and renewed faith as we examine the trials that perfect the saint and will give him a place of brilliance among the stars that shine throughout eternity.

DARE TO BE A DANIEL

Philip P. Bliss 1873

Standing by a purpose true,

Heeding God’s command,

Honor them, the faithful few!

All hail to Daniel’s band!

Refrain

Dare to be a Daniel,

Dare to stand alone!

Dare to have a purpose firm!

Dare to make it known.

Many mighty men are lost

Daring not to stand,

Who for God had been a host

By joining Daniel’s band.

Refrain

Many giants, great and tall,

Stalking through the land,

Headlong to the earth would fall,

If met by Daniel’s band.

Refrain

Hold the Gospel banner high!

On to vict’ry grand!

Satan and his hosts defy,

And shout for Daniel’s band.

Refrain

INTRODUCTION

The backdrop of the book of Daniel takes us back to the year 606 BC.  The Babylonians, under King Nebuchadnezzar, had just carried off a large number of captives from Jerusalem and had exiled them to the city of Babylon.  There were three major exiles; however, the first deportation was different because it contained the aristocratic strata of society and all of the skilled laborers and craftsmen.  It also included much of Jerusalem’s treasure, not to mention the holy artifacts from the temple (2 Kings 24:11-16).

In Scripture, the city of Babylon is both literal and figurative.  Babylon runs from Genesis through Revelation. It is metaphoric of Satan’s kingdom, whereas Jerusalem is metaphoric of the Holy City. Babylon represents the kingdom of darkness, confusion, and false religion (idolatry).  Satan is often portrayed (allegorically) as the king of Babylon (Isa 14:4-19). It is important to realize this in order to appreciate what the captives were up against.  There were tremendous temptations in Babylon; and these temptations give us some insights into the types of pressures that will confront God’s people prior to the Second Coming.

When you consider the state of Jerusalem prior to this tribulation period, Jerusalem was very backslidden. There were idols at the head of every street in Jerusalem and the words of the prophet went unheeded. The Chronicles summarizes Judah’s condition like this: “But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chr 36:16). 

The Good Figs Go to Babylon

In spite of Jerusalem’s backslidden condition, there was a remnant there that God wanted to preserve and redeem.  God always has a remnant, as feeble as it may be, or as few as it may be.  As you will recall from the life of Elijah, Elijah thought himself to be the last true believer until the Lord responded by saying: “I have 7000 that have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

We often view “captivity” with great disdain or perhaps as a sign of God’s contempt.  Yet, time and again we see that it was really God’s means of redeeming a person or a people.  It is like Hosea’s unfaithful wife; the Lord compared her to backslidden Israel.  His remedy for her was to hedge up her way with thorns and bring her into a captivity.  It was in this place of anguish and trouble that the backslider would renew herself to her Lord.

In the case of the Babylonian captivity, God was sending the redeemable ones into Babylon to cleanse them and eventually restore them.  The others were given to various forms of judgment with not a lot of promise of salvation.  Jeremiah divides Jerusalem into two camps: the good figs and the naughty figs: Jeremiah 24:2-7:

“One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.  Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.  Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.  And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.”

It is an amazing concept; that God subjects a man to serve the very thing that he needs to be cleansed from.  God took a people that had idols in their heart and sentenced them to the very seat of idolatry, where they were forced to serve idols.  In effect, this worked such a revulsion of idolatry into their hearts, that when the captivity ended, Israel never again served idols.

The great Syrian general (Naaman) was a leper.  The prophet’s remedy was to wash seven times in the filthy Jordan to receive his cleansing.  It is often in the place of constant defeat, failure, and lack of victory that God does a deep cleansing in our hearts. And, it is something that we have to submit to in order to be clean.

Scripture proves that trials are for the purpose of purifying the saint, and thus qualifying him for greater advancement.  The purpose of the Great Tribulation is to purify both natural and spiritual Israel. It is also to remove the tares from the Church.  May the lord open our understanding as we consider the trial of the saints and the benefits thereof.

But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Job 23:10

PART ONE

The Trial of the Individual

I am separating the ten trials of Daniel into two categories: The first six trials are focusing upon the individual.  The last four trials are corporate trials – blanket trials that will affect all of God’s people.

When a person is being tested, it generally involves other people as well.  Everyone is being tried with the contestant, even if it is only something that they are thinking in their heart.  May we always bear this in mind when a fellow-saint is in the fire.