In Babylon there was no temple, only shrines. It was the place of origin for idols. It was also the place where idols were most prevalent. All idol worship in this world originated in Babel, which is Shinar and Babylon. From the first chapter of Daniel, we can see that the whole world was under the authority of the king of Babylon; they all served the god of Babel, were under Satan’s dominion, and were even worshipping Satan. The whole earth was under this kind of condition. Among them there was a people, the Israelites, who should have been separated. The Israelites did not belong to Babylon; they should not have been under Babel’s authority. They should not have worshipped the gods of Babel. They lived originally in the land of Canaan, a place away from Babylon. Among them they had only the temple and no shrines. They worshipped only God. However, by the time of Daniel 1, even the Israelites were carried away to the world of Babel. The people separated by God were carried away to follow Satan’s current. Hence, by then everyone, including the Gentiles and the Israelites, was under Babel’s ruling and was worshipping the Babylonian gods. In other words, they all fell under Satan’s ruling and were following Satan.

This is the picture that Daniel shows us from the very beginning. This picture clearly shows us that the whole world was under Babylon’s ruling and was worshipping the god of Babylon. Consequently, God’s authority was laid aside and God’s glory was not expressed. On the contrary, Satan had dominion and was ruling. He was expressed and was worshipped by men. This is the picture in Daniel 1.

At this time, although Daniel and his three friends were still very young, they stood up to be an anti-testimony. This anti-testimony is a separation. As soon as they stood up, there was clearly a separation from the world. It was as if others were waving a black flag and they were waving a white one. When we read Daniel 1, we must grasp the meaning of this picture. These men did not follow the tide of Babylon at all. They were the separated ones. They could not eat what others could eat. They could not drink what others could drink. They could not do what others could do. They were clearly different from others in everything. I do not know if the young people have ever realized by reading Daniel that even in his old age, Daniel was still a separated person. He did many things that no one who was in the world would do. Furthermore, he did not do the things that the world did. There was always a separation between him and the world.

Young people, you must realize that today‘s age is the same as Daniel’s age; they are not at all different. Not only the Gentiles are under the ruling of Babylon; even the so-called people of God, so-called Christianity, are also in captivity. This is especially true during Christmas, when the whole of Christianity is carried away! Everyone in the world is walking on the same road, and everyone is swept into the same current. Not only do we see the whole world dancing, even those in Christianity are also dancing. Dancing has even come to Christianity.

Hence, everyone in the world, Gentiles and God’s people alike, has been swept into this current; they have all fallen under the same authority and are worshipping the demons. The Israelites in those days were only Israelites outwardly; in reality they were not much different from the Babylonians. They ate what the Babylonians ate. They drank what the Babylonians drank. They worshipped whatever idols the Babylonians worshipped. The situation is the same today. Many are Christians outwardly, but actually they are demon worshippers. They do what the Gentiles do. They worship whatever the Gentiles worship. They highly esteem what the Gentiles highly esteem. For this reason, the tide of the whole world has come under Satan’s ruling. Today, Satan has taken everyone captive and has made it impossible for God to do anything on earth.

Unless Satan gains man first, he cannot damage God’s will. Unless God gains man first, He cannot accomplish His plan. Man indeed occupies an important position between God and Satan. Since Satan today has carried away everyone on earth, the first characteristic of a person used by God to turn the age must be that of a strong standing and a clear separation from the world. Such a person must stand up and declare, “I cannot do what the world does. I cannot eat and drink what others eat and drink. I cannot walk the way they walk. I cannot have a part in the kind of life that they live. I am always somewhat different from them.” The first characteristic of those who turn the age is an absoluteness in standing on God’s side. Such a person sees through everything that belongs to the tide of this age. Not only will he not follow those things, but his heart grieves and burns because of them. With respect to many things, he stands in a position of separation and becomes an anti-testimony.

Young people are most susceptible to follow others in their manner of living. However, the first things Daniel overcame were in the matter of living, things related to eating and drinking. Many times young people feel that since others can do something, they can do the same. They feel that since everyone else is doing it, it is all right for them to do it also. Please remember that if we do this, we will become completely useless in God’s hand in the matter of turning the age. This is because we do not stand on God’s side, but rather on Satan’s side. If we do this, we can never be used by God to turn the age.

Hence, we must have a separation from those in the world. We must stand up and be an anti-testimony. Although the tide around us is downward, inwardly we are standing up against the tide. Others may play and amuse themselves, but we will not do the same. Others may have all kinds of cravings, but we cannot have the same. Of course, I am not suggesting that we be peculiar persons. That is not what I mean. Nevertheless, we must remember that in an age where the tide is downward, to be used by God as a person to turn the age, we must be separated persons; we must be able to stand up as an anti-testimony for God. This is the first necessary characteristic.
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