To All Peoples

To All Peoples, Nations and Tongues Dwelling in the Whole World! 16 June 2004

This letter, written under such a heading, was the proclamation of a king who lived thousands of years before our time and was ruler of the world, to all the nations and tongues of the earth. This text is found in the 4th chapter of the book of Daniel in what we know as the Holy Scripture (the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel). To this king, named Nebuchadnezzar, God showed a dream that would concern all of humanity in the future. Had the dream in question concerned only that king, the king would perhaps not have proclaimed it “to all tongues, nations and peoples.” And even if the king had proclaimed it, these words would not have been written into the Holy Scripture by the prophet Daniel, for the dream carries the character of prophecy. But that is not all; there are also other reasons that push us to think this way. In short, the most important aspect of what I wish to explain is that this dream is to be fulfilled in our own time. To grasp the truth of all that is written here, it will help you greatly to have the Holy Scripture (the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel), which is the word of God. The prophet known as Daniel in the Holy Scripture is known as Danyal in the Muslim world. The Quran does not take up this subject, but in the closing part of verse 93 of the Surah Al-Imran it says: “…Say: If you are truthful people, then bring the Torah and read it” — thereby supporting that we must treat the word of God as an indivisible whole, and it emphasizes this with many verses.

The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar of that time, of whom we speak here, became king in 605 B.C. and reigned for 43 years. The most brilliant period of the Babylonian Empire was lived in his time. Babylon then played the role of the world's ruler. It may be likened to the present-day United States of America. This state of affairs lasted until 516 B.C., when the Median and Persian empire seized Babylon. (This date was obtained solely as a result of research in the Holy Scripture. On matters of dates it is the most reliable source, because it is the word of God — on condition, however, that we not forget the errors that may occur in our own interpretations.)

The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar begins to write this dream — which would concern all of humanity in the future — in the book of Daniel, from chapter 4, verse 4 onward, as follows:

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. I saw a dream that frightened me; and as I lay upon my bed, my thoughts and the visions troubled me. I commanded that all the wise men (the sages) of Babylon be brought before me to explain to me what the dream meant. When the magicians, the astrologers and the diviners came before me, I told them the dream I had seen, but they could not explain what it meant. At last Daniel came before me — called by the name Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. I told him the dream I had seen. I said to him: O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that you can explain every mystery. Here is the dream I saw: tell me what it means.

These are the visions I saw as I lay: I saw in the midst of the earth a very high tree. The tree grew, became strong, and its height reached the heavens. It was visible to the four corners of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, and it had fruit abundant enough for everyone. The wild beasts sheltered in its shade, and the birds that fly in the sky perched on its branches. Every living thing was fed from it. In the visions I saw as I lay upon my bed, I saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. He cried aloud: cut down the tree and its branches, strip off its leaves, scatter its fruit; let the animals that shelter beneath it and the birds perched on its branches flee. But leave the stump where the roots are, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let it have its portion of the grass of the earth together with the animals. Let the human heart in it be changed, and let an animal's heart be given in its place. Let 7 times pass over it. This sentence the watchers decreed, this decision the holy ones gave — so that every living thing may know that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of men, and that He may give them to whomever He wishes, even to the most despised of men.

This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw! Now, O Belteshazzar (Daniel), tell me what it means. For none of the wise men (the sages, the magicians) in my kingdom could explain to me what this dream means. But you can explain it, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.

Daniel Interprets the Dream. From Chapter 4:19 onward

Then Daniel, whose other name was Belteshazzar, stood for a while bewildered, and his thoughts troubled him. Thereupon the king said, “O Belteshazzar, let neither this dream nor its interpretation trouble you.”

Belteshazzar (Daniel) answered, “My lord, would that this dream were for those who hate you, and its interpretation for your enemies! You saw a tree that grew and became strong, whose height reached the heavens and which could be seen by everyone on earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant enough for all. The wild beasts sheltered beneath it, and the birds that fly in the sky perched on its branches. O king, that tree is you! You grew and became strong. Your greatness reached even to the heavens, and your dominion spread to the four corners of the earth. You, O king, saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. He was saying: cut down and destroy the tree, but leave the stump where the roots are, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven; let it take its portion together with the wild beasts until 7 times pass over it.”

O my lord king, the meaning of the dream and the sentence the Most High will bring upon you is this: you will be driven out from among men and will live with the wild beasts; you will feed on grass like an ox and be wet with the dew of heaven. 7 times will pass until you understand that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of men and gives the kingdom to whomever He wishes. The command was given for the stump where the roots are to be left. This means: when you understand that Heaven rules, your kingdom will be given back to you.”

Twelve months later all of this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven out from among men. He fed on grass like an ox. His body was wet with the dew of heaven. His hair grew like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws. At the end of the appointed time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and came to myself. I praised the Most High. I honored and glorified the One who lives forever. (Daniel 4:34)

The verses above must have two prophetic meanings. The first meaning was already fulfilled literally upon Nebuchadnezzar. It probably lasted 7 years, and afterward Nebuchadnezzar recovered his health. But from Daniel's interpretation we also understand that we must have a second understanding. For the tree spoken of was Babylon. Although Nebuchadnezzar represented Babylon at that moment, his illness did not mean the cutting down of the tree — that is, the destruction of Babylon. For at that time Babylon did not lose its standing as a country still upright and ruling over the four corners of the world. Despite Nebuchadnezzar being ill, according to the dream Babylon still preserved its condition: still strong, its height reaching the heavens, visible to everyone on earth, its leaves beautiful, its fruit abundant enough for all, and a place where everyone could shelter.

We therefore reach the conclusion that we must understand the cutting down of the tree as the cutting down or destruction of Babylon. In short, after Babylon was cut down, 7 times had to pass over it. This was a period making known that God rules over the kingdoms of men and would give the kingdom to whomever He wishes. That is why the root of the tree is not destroyed but only encircled until a certain time. It would remain encircled until a king came who was in accordance with God's will. That tree did not, as some claim, represent God's sovereignty. There never was, on the earth, a sovereignty representing God's sovereignty. Although God chose some of the kings of Israel, this was not God's desire but the Israelites' wish. Even if kings with whom He was personally pleased came to power, God only permitted this but did not desire it. That this is so is written plainly in 1 Samuel chapter 12:17 of the Holy Scripture. We know beyond all doubt from the Holy Scripture that the King in accordance with God's will would be Jesus the Messiah alone. In the Gospel, in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 17, verse 31, it is written:

For God has appointed a day on which, by the man He has ordained, He will judge the world in righteousness; He has given assurance to all humanity by raising him from the dead.

That is, we read that this person, spoken of as Jesus the Messiah, is the same person in the Quran as well. He is the only one who rose from the dead, ascended to the presence of God without seeing decay, and lives. All the prophets and all humanity will be obliged to wait only for the day of resurrection. (John chapter 5:28) But Jesus the Messiah, without waiting for this time, God raised him. Verse 55 of the Surah Al-Imran also sheds light on this subject.

What do these 7 times mean, or how should they be calculated? And when will they begin?

In verses 6 and 14 of chapter 12 of the book of Revelation, at the very back of the Holy Scripture, we understand that 1,260 days equal “a time (that is, 1 time), times (2 times) and half a time.” In short, a time, times and half a time means 3.5 times. Each time means one year, and half a time means 6 months. Thus one time equals 360 days. Now, if we calculate one day as one year according to the rule of the Holy Scripture — a rule written in the prophet Moses' book of Numbers chapter 14:34 and likewise in the prophet Ezekiel's book chapter 4:6 — yes, if we calculate one year for each day, then according to this reckoning “seven times” is 7 times 360 days, equal to 2,520 years. After explaining from this principle what the 7 times mean and how long they last, when should this 2,520-year period begin? In fact, from the explanations so far, if we have paid close attention, it should not be hard to understand. And I must again point out the necessity of knowing and researching the Holy Scripture. This period would begin with the destruction of Babylon — that is, in 516 B.C. For only then, according to the dream, was the tree cut down, and after this 7 times had to pass over it.

Why 516 B.C.?

In 586 B.C. the city of Jerusalem is seized by the Babylonians. The temple of God, which Solomon had built in God's name and which today stands on the site of the Mosque of Omar, is set on fire. (This date is not found in the Holy Scripture. We therefore proceed from the date written by worldly sources. But God surely knew this would be so. We can do nothing but say, “the most reliable date for us is this 586.” Encyclopedic dates and many sources have, unfortunately, until now most supported this date.)

God announces beforehand, through His prophets, the ruin that would come upon the city of Jerusalem and upon the temple built in His own name. The most important announcement, written in the prophet Jeremiah's book from chapter 25:1 to 11, speaks of this period lasting 70 years. In short, God's temple and Jerusalem would be burned and destroyed, and a full 70 years would pass over them. This too is written in the prophet Jeremiah's book, chapter 29:10.

We know that these things came to pass without deficiency. So then, since these events occurred in 586 B.C., if we subtract 70 years from 586 we arrive without any difficulty at 516 B.C. This means Babylon is seized by the Medes and Persians in 516 B.C., and this is the fall of Babylon — that is, the cutting down of the tree. I wish to explain that the 2,520-year chronometer must begin from this date. Through the dream He showed this king, God wished to tell us that in the year 2,520−516 = 2005 the kingdom of Jesus the Messiah would begin. (In calculations, in passing from B.C. to A.D., there is said to be a shift of about 1 year in between. The reason given is that there is no date called zero. We must also accept that the historical data we have may be in error!)

Why does Jesus the Messiah becoming king concern us and humanity personally?

The kingdom of Jesus the Messiah will not come in a way visible to the eye. For Jesus the Messiah is a spiritual being who lives in the heavens. Just as the angel we call Satan is likewise a spiritual creature who does not appear to our eyes but continues his influence on the earth, so too the Messiah's kingdom will not come in a way visible to the eye. Jesus said this would be so, in the Gospel, in the book of Luke chapter 17:20-21. But its signs and effects will be seen by everyone on the whole earth. (Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 1:7; Mark 13:26) With Jesus beginning to reign as king in the heavens, it means we will enter a 3.5-year period showing that the prophecies in the last little book of the Gospel, called Revelation, will begin to be fulfilled. We must prepare ourselves even now for the series of fearful events that will occur, affecting everyone on the earth. Again, let us not think that immediately at the end of these 3.5 years — or 42 months, or 1,260 days — God will bring the end. For we have read many times from the Holy Scripture, and been warned, that no one will have knowledge of the hour and the day. (Matthew 24:36) Two world wars, famines, earthquakes, floods, the increase of lawlessness, people who love money, a worldly spirit that loves pleasure rather than God, the polluting of the earth, those who present themselves as devoted to God but in fact deny God by their works — we are already reading that these are for us the greatest signs that we are living in the last days. (Some verses on this: Matthew 24:7, Luke 21:11, Luke 21:26, 2 Timothy 3:2-5.) There are also those who argue that these events have been the same since ancient times. In my opinion, to refuse to accept that our earth has never before experienced the changes of this last century, one would truly have to be blind, deaf and ignorant.

While all these things affect the earth, it is certain they will affect us too. For the book of Revelation also speaks of that great collapse of all the religions on earth. (Revelation chapters 17 and 18.) That is, the prohibition of all the religions on earth is in question. How many people living on earth do not belong to a religion? That is why we must decide even now what we will do. For God says: “Come out of them.” (Revelation 18:4) The most important sphere of effect, however, will be God's concern with each person individually. God has shown this concern ever since our creation, but the point I wish to make is this: on the day God will war against the wicked, will we ourselves be set apart for death or for life? — we must ask ourselves this even now. No one will encounter a situation of having been saved by chance or having escaped God's eye. Please look again at the Holy Scripture, the prophet Amos' book, chapter 9:2-3.

Therefore!

This letter was written to encourage you to repent of your sins and turn back. Otherwise, mere knowledge of the date of a coming end will not secure our salvation. In 1 Timothy chapter 2:4 it says: “Our Creator God wills that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of God” — meaning that, whatever we may have done, He wants us to reach out our hand to this eternal life to which God invites us.

Throughout the letter I have taken care to keep the verses related to the subject few, so that the letter would remain short. The aim is to encourage you to do research by means of prayer to God. Whether for a critical purpose or an objective one — but do research. Our life depends on these truths of which God warns us. Moreover, a chronological table has been made related to this truth, to make things easier for you. Most importantly, this letter was not written with the support of any religion or denomination.

Again, what is important is not so much the historical figures as the events that will occur. We see that we have clearly erred on matters of dates, myself included. The most we can do is pay attention to the signs in the prophecies — and even in this we have seen, in times past, that many have erred.

Through this letter I wish that God would stir your hearts and that you would feel the need to do something, and so I say: be well and at peace.

Tree

=

Nebuchadnezzar

Babylon

Kingdom — Dominion

Destroyed in 516 B.C., and 7 times will pass over it.

Until the kingdom of God comes

2520 – 516

September–October of the year 2005. Jesus the Messiah could have begun to reign as king in the heavens — though we believe this did not take place on that date!

Source: From the Holy Scripture (Torah-Psalms-Gospel), the 4th chapter of the book of Daniel