Ecclesiastes 3:14: “And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him.”
Daniel 27-38:
27 Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come…
30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.
31 “Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king.
37 Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
Daniel 3: 1-6
King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up… 4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
Daniel 3: 14
14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?”
I had a dream…
I was at a concert, standing within the crowd watching the singing duo, Chloe x Halle, perform. Halle went up on stage first and was singing and dancing. As she performed, I had brief moments where it was as if I was her, on stage performing, before I was back in my body. I then continued to watch the performance. Her sister, Chloe, soon came out after her, and they began to sing and dance together, though it seemed to be emphasized in the dream that Chloe was now the real star of the show. The focus of the dream was now favoring her. As they danced, there was a moment in the dream where their bodies were suspended in the air like statues, and their bodies glowed as bright gold. There was an aura emanating from their glittering figures, and it was lascivious and sensual. As I watched, I felt that there was a strong and seductive spirit being channeled through them. As the show ended, I realized that I attended the concert alone. I saw people that I recognized at the performance, and as I was attempting to leave, they came up to speak with me.
At this point, I woke up.
When I woke up, the Spirit of God began to speak to me, and I knew that he was incredibly angry. At first, I was a bit uncomfortable, because he had never allowed my spirit to feel his Spirit that angry before. I have had dreams in the past where I was instructed to warn another person, but this is the first time that I felt the anger of God in such a visceral way, where the person I am told to warn has committed, what is to him, an offense that he takes personally. This message is very serious.
In this season, God will be dealing with several people in positions of power and influence who have turned their backs against him. Those who he takes responsibility for making great but who rejected his vision along the way.
Before I continue with the message, I would like to say that I give the message in all kindness, with my prayers, and by God’s grace. I have nothing personal against the people I am referring to in this message, and I don’t know them personally. I don’t listen to their music, and before this dream, had only heard of them briefly via social media. If not for God instructing me, I likely would not be writing about them. Regardless, I cannot ask God to share his heart with me, and then be picky about what he shares. If I want to continue in the privilege of his heart, I can’t grieve it by being disobedient. He instructed me to give this message, and so I will.
Ephesians 4:30 : And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
1 Samuel 15:22
22“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
The Message:
To Chloe x Halle:
There are those in this world that God himself has made great. Isn’t it an extreme privilege, to walk in the favor of God? To have the Spirit of God be your mentor?
They may or may not have started in the church, often they do, but it was God’s grace that covered them. They knew him and walked with him. Their spirit is no stranger to His. He remembers how they sang to him, and he reminds them of the former intimacy. They shone bright, and everything they touched turned to gold, because he was with them. They were glorious because their success edified him.
However, there are some of these people that miss their way. Once God makes them great, and gives them a platform for his glory, they abuse the platform and use it for their own. They turn their backs against God, forgetting about his vision for their lives. Everything given by God, no matter how small, is meant to bring him worship. Once an individual turns the hearts of people away from God, in the place where he personally placed them, they become an idol. Even worse than grieving him, they make themselves his enemy. And in his own time, he will visit them, and deal with them personally.
Chloe x Halle, the former message applies to you. God is the one that takes responsibility for your talent and glory. He made you great, giving you the ability to go far. However, at some point, your hearts turned. Where you once stood to bring God glory, the devil now uses you as an idol. You have become an offense. He presents you to God, as an attempt to bring mockery in his face. But God will never be mocked. Every idol that is put up in his presence, as Dagon was, will be cast down.
1 Samuel 5:1-5
After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.
Whenever God takes us to a place of prosperity, we will do well as long as he is getting the glory from our position. When our hearts turn, and the loyalty is lost, that same place will be the place where we are destroyed. This is exemplified by the Story of Two Eagles in the book of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 17: 1-10
17 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, give this riddle, and tell this story to the people of Israel. 3 Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord:
“A great eagle with broad wings and long feathers,
covered with many-colored plumage,
came to Lebanon.
He seized the top of a cedar tree
4 and plucked off its highest branch.
He carried it away to a city filled with merchants.
He planted it in a city of traders.
5 He also took a seedling from the land
and planted it in fertile soil.
He placed it beside a broad river,
where it could grow like a willow tree.
6 It took root there and
grew into a low, spreading vine.
Its branches turned up toward the eagle,
and its roots grew down into the ground.
It produced strong branches
and put out shoots.
7 But then another great eagle came
with broad wings and full plumage.
So the vine now sent its roots and branches
toward him for water,
8 even though it was already planted in good soil
and had plenty of water
so it could grow into a splendid vine
and produce rich leaves and luscious fruit.
9 “So now the Sovereign Lord asks:
Will this vine grow and prosper?
No! I will pull it up, roots and all!
I will cut off its fruit
and let its leaves wither and die.
I will pull it up easily
without a strong arm or a large army.
10 But when the vine is transplanted,
will it thrive?
No, it will wither away
when the east wind blows against it.
It will die in the same good soil
where it had grown so well.”
10 But when the vine is transplanted,
will it thrive?
No, it will wither away
when the east wind blows against it.
It will die in the same good soil
where it had grown so well.”
It is no light thing to be taken to a high place. Christians are always praying for God to bless their efforts and elevate them to success, and if they have the correct motives (Isaiah 26:8), that is a wonderful prayer. However, God is not mocked. The higher you go, the harder you fall. It is better to remain “unknown” and be faithful, than to be lifted up and become unfaithful. Instead of the high place being the place where you are honored, it becomes the place where you are humiliated. And because the place is so high, your humiliation will be clear for everybody who admired you to see.
Isaiah 26:8- “Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.”
Galatians 6:7: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
Psalms 37: 16-17
16It is better to be godly and have little
than to be evil and rich.
17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
but the Lord takes care of the godly.
God took responsibility for giving Nebuchadnezzar, who was not a Jew, glory. There was no greater king on Earth when he lived. God did this for his own purposes, even promising his own people that if they did not submit to him, they would die.
Jeremiah 27:5-11
5 With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose. 6 Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control. 7 All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up. Then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon. 8 So you must submit to Babylon’s king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon’s yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the Lord. I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it.
9 “‘Do not listen to your false prophets, fortune-tellers, interpreters of dreams, mediums, and sorcerers who say, “The king of Babylon will not conquer you.” 10 They are all liars, and their lies will lead to your being driven out of your land. I will drive you out and send you far away to die. 11 But the people of any nation that submits to the king of Babylon will be allowed to stay in their own country to farm the land as usual. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”
However, Nebuchadnezzar became proud. He lifted himself up so highly, that he even made an idol of gold, an image in honor of his own worship. After this incident, God demonstrated his power to Nebuchadnezzar through the deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged it. Unfortunately, God’s demonstrations, and repeated warnings, proved insufficient for Nebuchadnezzar. When time finally came for God’s warnings and prophesies to be fulfilled, Nebuchadnezzar learned how heavy God’s humbling hand can be.
“…Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?”, Daniel 3:14
The Deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego:
Daniel 3:16-18
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up. 19 Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual.”
Daniel 3: 24-26:
24 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?”“Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied. 25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!…”
Daniel 3:28-30:
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.
The Humbling of Nebuchadnezzar:
God gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream (Daniel 4) to warn him against pride and injustice. He even sent Daniel to interpret the dream and urge Nebuchadnezzar to repent. These were not enough to change his heart.
Daniel 4:27:“‘King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.”
Daniel 4:28-33:
28 “But all these things did happen to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later he was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon. 30 As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’
31 “While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. 32 You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’
33 “That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws.
Chloe x Halle, if you continue down your current path, lifting yourselves up as idols, it will destroy you. Whoever is counseling you to go in this way, I do not know, but please listen to this message. Don’t be deceived. The spirits that you now worship, that are being used to make you great, are strong and seductive. It is no longer the Spirit of God. These forces are very proud, the fruit of their work destroys people, and angers God deeply. If you allow yourselves to be used by them, they will define who you are. And especially because God takes responsibility for giving you the means to be great, he will also take responsibility for handling you accordingly.
Throughout scripture there is a principle, a spiritual law, that will always remain true: We are conformed into whatever we worship.
And on an eternal scale, we will spend eternity with/as whatever we worship on earth. Forever being conformed into it’s character, and forever reaping it’s reward or punishment.
2 Kings 17:15:
15 They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the Lord’s command not to imitate them.
2 Kings 17:16-18:
16 They rejected all the commands of the Lord their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven. 17 They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire.[a] They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the Lord’s anger.
18 Because the Lord was very angry with Israel, he swept them away from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained in the land.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11:
9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Instruction:
God’s instruction to me, and to all reading this message, is to pray that he should ‘have mercy’ on Chloe x Halle. It was only after looking up the duo online that I realized that Chloe released a song titled “Have Mercy”.
The heart of God is this: “Though the enemy tried to use you as a mockery and an offense, I AM, the one who has mercy on whom I please.”
My prayer is that God will turn what the enemy intends for evil to good. That instead of, “Have Mercy”, (and whatever body of work they produce), being used to mock God and invite wrath against Chloe x Halle, God will instead use this opportunity to demonstrate the true depths of his mercy, and give them the gift of repentance. I pray that he gives them a listening heart. If the humbling season is unavoidable, I pray that they will emerge from it with a repentant heart just as Nebuchadnezzar did. That He will show us all what it really means to have mercy, and allow them to return to their first love. May their vision return to its former intent and glory, in Christ. May their humbling season not end in destruction as it did for Pharaoh, but in praise as it did for Nebuchadnezzar. In Jesus name, Amen.
Romans 9:15-18
15 For God said to Moses,
“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,
and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”
16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.
17 For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” 18 So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.
Daniel 4: 34-37
34 “After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever.
His rule is everlasting,
and his kingdom is eternal.
35 All the people of the earth
are nothing compared to him.
He does as he pleases
among the angels of heaven
and among the people of the earth.
No one can stop him or say to him,
‘What do you mean by doing these things?’
36 “When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before.
37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”
Prayer:
Dear Lord, in all of this, may your heart be understood, and your will accomplished. Please have mercy on Chloe x Halle. Show all of us the idolatry in our lives and give us the gift of repentance. Help us to remember you when you elevate us to positions of power and influence. Remove self-righteousness, because none of us can boast being faithful to you outside of your power and grace. We praise you. In Jesus name, Amen.
