The magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans were quickly summoned for their presumed level of expertise. These were professional people with high qualifications within their sphere. Yet the frustration the king faced at their inability to tell him the dream soon turned into fury.

“The king . . . said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. . . . If ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof” (Daniel 2:5–9).

“The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain” (Daniel 2:10–13).

Who was Daniel? Although he had graduated from the school of Babylon and had been among the top four students found to be ten times better than the other classmates (Daniel 1:19, 20), as a Hebrew captive he was likely younger and less experienced than the other wise men, so he had not been among those summoned to fix the problem. But when the decree was issued to slay all the wise men, he was now to be included as one to be slain.

A young man of courage, at the peril of his life, Daniel respectfully went to the king to request some time to consider this matter. What a contrast between his courteous and gentle humility compared to the haughty spirit of oppression characteristic of the Babylonian realm! (See Daniel 2:14–16.) Daniel had tested the promises of the God of heaven and knew Him to be One to rely upon in such emergencies.

“Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter” (Daniel 2:17–23).

Daniel did not neglect to praise, thank, and publicly acknowledge the One who had granted the solution that night.

“The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; as for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart” (Daniel 2:26–30). [Emphasis added.] To God be all glory!

The king’s dream of a statue made of metals whose value descends in decreasing order is revealed in Daniel 2:31–35. (This will be explained in further detail in the next article following on page 10: “A Dream of a Thousand Years—and Beyond.”)

The interpretation as provided by God unveils with uncanny accuracy the future of the major world empires all the way to the close of human history (Daniel 2:36–44). What finally happens in the end?

“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” (Daniel 2:44, 45). [Emphasis added.]

In great amazement, Nebuchadnezzar could only acknowledge that yes, what Daniel described was in fact the dream—and the interpretation he had provided made perfect sense. (See Daniel 2:46–49.) Divine revelation had not been given by means of worldly glory, honor, and benefits—but through Daniel’s trust in the merciful God who reveals secrets.

Unfortunately, in Daniel chapter 3, we see how quickly king Nebuchadnezzar soon forgot about the awesome, Divine power of the God of heaven. When Daniel first revealed the dream and its interpretation, the king rejoiced in the worship of the true and living God. But alas, the paganism still rooted in the depths of his heart still prevailed. He took the information he had received from Daniel and then came up with something more flattering to his own ego. Instead of being limited only to the head of gold that was to be followed by another kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar decided to erect an entire statue of gold with a view to try to change the future course of history. After all, the statue in the dream was symbolic of empires to the close of time—so, if the entire statue were made completely of gold (which had indicated the reign of Babylon), then, in his mind, he and his nation of Babylon could conceivably live and reign forever! Interesting logic, but defiant to that which Divine wisdom from Heaven had plainly revealed.

It’s noteworthy to see how human nature manages to concoct all sorts of flawed alternative methods by which to supposedly live forever—methods which are but vain attempts to try to bypass the only way, truth and life provided by the Lifegiver Himself.

Nebuchadnezzar instituted upon the people a forced worship of the golden statue to try to glorify himself. All were compelled to bow down to this image under penalty of death. But no matter how hard a leader may try, true allegiance—genuine worship—cannot be mandated. It must come from the heart. This is a God-given inalienable right of every member of the human race. In contrast, it is the plan of Satan—the enemy of our souls—that seeks to enforce a counterfeit plan against the worship of God.

Do the twisted and flawed philosophies found in the pride of Babylon still exist today? Absolutely! Just as the king in ancient Babylon obsessed over distorted views of immortality, so likewise does modern Babylon. History has repeated itself in every generation, and the contemporary world in our generation is no exception.

What constitutes modern Babylon today? Babylon basically means confusion—especially religious confusion. John the Revelator was shown the following scene:

“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth” (Revelation 17:1–5). [Emphasis added.]

The kings of the earth are carrying on an illicit intimate relationship with the spiritual darkness of Babylon. The inhabitants of the earth are confused by the fermented spiritual drink she is serving to the multitudes:

“Babylon has been fostering poisonous doctrines, the wine of error. This wine of error is made up of false doctrines, such as the natural immortality of the soul, the eternal torment of the wicked, the denial of the pre-existence of Christ prior to His birth in Bethlehem, and advocating and exalting the first day of the week above God’s holy, sanctified day. These and kindred errors are presented to the world by the various churches.”1

Philosophies that claim to be Christian yet actually conflict with Scripture can indeed cause a lot of confusion, for sure.

False prophets have existed since ancient times. How can you recognize them? Please notice the clear instruction from God:

1. Rebellious charmers

“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 13:1–3).

So, if the prophet tries to lure us away from following God to go in a different direction, we must not put our trust in that prophet, even if some things he/she says happen to come to pass.

2. Missing 100%

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him” (Deuteronomy 18:19–22). [Emphasis added.]

So, if the prophet doesn’t obey God or prophesies some things shown to be inaccurate, we must not put our trust in that prophet, either.

Indeed, a big problem today is that of false prophets. They simply prosper because people are blindly accepting whatever tickles their ears and sounds sensational. Yet John the Revelator explains that this will cause a world crisis:

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:13, 14). [Emphasis added.] Look at how frightfully far-reaching this is!

Like Nebuchadnezzar in ancient Babylon, the perpetuators of modern Babylon are also obsessed with vainly trying to force false, alternative paths to supposed immortality. What are just a few of these fake paths that lead to nowhere but perdition?

Spiritualism (and its many forms, including “the occult,” “spiritism,” “kabbalah”/”kabala,” “channeling,” “theosophy,” “ouija,” or other various kinds of mysticism) is the belief that the dead can communicate with the living. It embraces a philosophy of doctrines based on the serpent’s big lie first told in the garden of Eden: “Ye shall not surely die. . . . ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4, 5). Yet God clearly explains, “the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6). “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence” (Psalm 115:17).

“Spiritualism asserts that men are unfallen demigods; that ‘each mind will judge itself;’ that ‘true knowledge places men above all law;’ that ‘all sins committed are innocent;’ for ‘whatever is, is right,’ and ‘God doth not condemn.’ The basest of human beings it represents as in heaven, and highly exalted there. Thus it declares to all men, ‘It matters not what you do; live as you please, heaven is your home.’ Multitudes are thus led to believe that desire is the highest law, that license is liberty, and that man is accountable only to himself.

“With such teaching given at the very outset of life, when impulse is strongest, and the demand for self-restraint and purity is most urgent, where are the safeguards of virtue? what is to prevent the world from becoming a second Sodom?

“At the same time anarchy is seeking to sweep away all law, not only divine, but human.”2

“There is but one power that can break the hold of evil from the hearts of men, and that is the power of God in Jesus Christ. Only through the blood of the Crucified One is there cleansing from sin. His grace alone can enable us to resist and subdue the tendencies of our fallen nature. This power the spiritualistic theories concerning God make of no effect. If God is an essence pervading all nature, then He dwells in all men; and in order to attain holiness, man has only to develop the power that is within him.

“These theories, followed to their logical conclusion, sweep away the whole Christian economy. They do away with the necessity for the atonement and make man his own savior. These theories regarding God make His word of no effect, and those who accept them are in great danger of being led finally to look upon the whole Bible as a fiction. They may regard virtue as better than vice; but God being removed from His position of sovereignty, they place their dependence upon human power, which, without God, is worthless. The unaided human will has no real power to resist and overcome evil. The defenses of the soul are broken down. Man has no barrier against sin. When once the restraints of God’s word and His Spirit are rejected, we know not to what depths one may sink.

“Those who continue to hold these spiritualistic theories will surely spoil their Christian experience, sever their connection with God, and lose eternal life.”3

A world-renowned brain surgeon explains, “Transhumanism in simple terms means ‘beyond human.’ It is the transformation of the human condition through technology that promises to enhance human intellect and physiology. Transhumanists would use emerging and exponential technologies like AI [artificial intelligence], nanotechnology, biotechnology, stem cells, and gene therapy to overcome fundamental human limitations. Often called ‘Humanity+’ or simply ‘H+,’ it is also telling that some prefer the term ‘posthuman.’ ”4

This is supposedly the next step in human evolution, with one claim being made that hybrid avatars will supposedly perpetuate a continuum of people’s lives.

Is such a feat on the verge of technological feasibility? Let’s read about “chimeras”:

“A chimera is an individual composed of cells with different embryonic origins. The successful isolation of five human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines in 1998 increased scientists’ ability to creat human/nonhuman chimeras.”5

“Dr. Ian Pearson claims people born after 1970 should be able to live forever. Genetic engineering could be used to reduce or reverse the ageing of cells. AI could lead to android bodies for humans to live in after their body’s fail.”6

Another headline reads: “Unblocking virtual immortality: How AI clones can let ‘you’ live forever.”7

“Gene editing, the ability to make highly specific changes in the DNA sequence of a living organism, essentially customizing its genetic makeup. . . . Key among gene-editing technologies is a molecular tool known as CRISPR-Cas9, a powerful technology discovered in 2012. . . . CRISPR-Cas9 functioned with precision, allowing researchers to remove and insert DNA in the desired locations.”8

Another physician explains, “Historically, the striving for immortality has been a faith-based venture, based in the idea that the soul is immortal while the body perishes, which is a concept I am in complete alignment with. Transhumanists more or less reverse this idea. They discard the notion of soul altogether and aim for the preservation of the perceived personality, first through radical life extension of the physical body, and later through the transfer of brain data into a replacement form.

“According to Dmitry Itskov, the Russian founder of the Immortality 2045 project, only 2% of people are ready to accept death—a statistic that he uses to justify the search for immortality through things like artificial organs, artificial body constructs, the simulation of mental processes and, ultimately, the transferring of one’s mind into an artificial carrier.

“The goals of this project include not only the creation of the cybernetic technologies needed to achieve an immortal body, but also the creation of ‘a new philosophical paradigm for humanity.’ [Klaus] Schwab has talked about the same thing, using the term ‘social contract’ rather than ‘philosophical paradigm.’ . . .

“I just don’t foresee being able to elevate spiritually when any number of outside parties can access your brain and dictate what you think, feel and believe.”9

Yes, just as in the case of proud Nebuchadnezzar’s plan, this is all a strange delusion. It’s the same old morally degrading lie by which humanity was first tricked: “Ye shall not surely die.” So, the new claim from the scientism cult is that state-of-the-art technology can supposedly make “you” live forever, rather than offering salvation through Christ, the actual way, truth, and life (John 14:6). But would that soulless entity even be “you” anyway? No, your genetic fingerprint would be corrupted. It would not be “you”—the original “you” made in the image of God with your unique DNA. Would such a plan be of heavenly origin? Of course not! It’s just one of the latest inventions of the enemy of our soul to try to bypass Christ our only Saviour.

“The world is a theater; the actors, its inhabitants, are preparing to act their part in the last great drama. With the great masses of mankind, there is no unity, except as men confederate to accomplish their selfish purposes. God is looking on. His purposes in regard to His rebellious subjects will be fulfilled. The world has not been given into the hands of men, though God is permitting the elements of confusion and disorder to bear sway for a season. A power from beneath is working to bring about the last great scenes in the drama—Satan coming as Christ, and working with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are binding themselves together in secret societies. Those who are yielding to the passion for confederation are working out the plans of the enemy. The cause will be followed by the effect.”10

The reality is clear, so we are reminded that “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”; “neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Romans 6:23; Acts 4:12).

Thus resounds the message and appeal to each of us in our unique life with our unique DNA:

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9–11).

“Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2 Timothy 3:13, 14).

“We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3–7). [Emphasis added.]