Inanis_Vault/43-Talks/Public/20 - Is It Time for God to Rule the World/20 - Is It Time for God to Rule the World.md

[!question] MANKIND NEEDS BETTER RULERSHIP (4 min.) Is it time?

[!question] Why do human governments fail to meet the needs of their subjects? (Pr 29:2)

[!question] Man has neither the right nor the ability to govern himself successfully (Jer 10:23)

• His efforts to do so have led to much injustice and suffering (Ec 8:9, 11)

[!question] The Bible foretells that God’s Kingdom will soon replace human rule (Da 2:44; 7:13, 14)

• When did God’s Kingdom begin ruling, and when will it take full control?

[!question] DANIEL CHAPTER 4​**—A PROPHETIC DREAM ABOUT RULERSHIP** (5 min.) Notes Here

[!question] Jehovah caused King Nebuchadnezzar to have a dream about rulership (Da 4:10-17) Notes Here

[!question] God inspired Daniel to interpret the dream [Read key portions of Daniel 4:20-27] Notes Here

• The dream was initially fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar himself (Da 4:28-37; dp 82-94)
• The dream emphasizes that Jehovah God has the right to determine who will rule mankind

[!question] THE DREAM FORETELLS THE RULE OF GOD’S KINGDOM (16 min.) Notes Here

[!question] The prophecy has a larger fulfillment in connection with the establishment of God’s Kingdom (it-1 132-135)

[!question] What reason is there to suggest that the dream is more than just an interesting story about the humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar?

1. The dream was given at the time when God had just allowed his earthly kingdom to be overthrown
2. The person to whom the dream was given was the very one used by God to cut off rulership in Jerusalem
3. The theme of the dream is God’s right to rule over the entire “kingdom of mankind” (Da 4:17, 25, 32)
4. The dream’s context, the book of Daniel, repeatedly points forward to the rule of God’s Kingdom
5. Daniel’s prophecies would not be fully understood until “the time of the end” (Da 12:4, 8, 9)

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In the larger fulfillment, the tree represents Jehovah’s rulership

[!help] For a period of time, Jehovah’s rulership had been represented by the Israelite kings who ruled in Jerusalem (1Ch 29:23)

• Jehovah promised David that one of his descendants would rule forever (2Sa 7:16)
• Ezekiel foretold that the earthly representation of God’s rulership would be cut off and that God would later appoint a new Ruler [Read Ezekiel 21:26, 27]
  • In 607 B.C.E., Jehovah used Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Jerusalem; this marked the beginning of the “seven times” during which God’s rulership would be interrupted (Da 4:16)
  • How long would this period last?

[!help] ** Jesus said that Jerusalem, representing God’s rulership, would “be trampled on . . . until the appointed times of the nations” were fulfilled (w06 7/15 6 ¶1-4)** [Read Luke 21:24]

• “The appointed times of the nations” are the same period as the “seven times” of Daniel chapter 4
• Jesus indicated that “the appointed times of the nations” were still ongoing during his earthly ministry, so the “seven times” could not be seven literal years counted from 607 B.C.E.
• “Seven times,” or seven Biblical years, are equal to 2,520 days (w06 7/15 7 ¶1-2)
  • Applying the rule of “a day for a year” and counting 2,520 years from 607 B.C.E. brings us to 1914 C.E. (Nu 14:34; Eze 4:6)
• In 1914, Jesus began ruling in heaven as the appointed King of God’s Kingdom
  • As a descendant of King David, Jesus is “the one who has the legal right” to rule (Eze 21:27; Lu 1:32, 33)

[!help] GOD’S KINGDOM WILL SOON TAKE FULL CONTROL (5 min.)

• Events since 1914 confirm that God’s Kingdom has been established (Mt 24:3, 7-14; w15 6/15 22-24 ¶12-14)
  • Jesus is now ruling “in the midst of [his] enemies,” and he will soon “complete his conquest” (Ps 110:2; Re 6:2)
• Rule by God’s Kingdom will bring blessings to obedient mankind (w14 10/1 5-7)
• Now is the time to take your stand in support of God’s Kingdom