The Yellow Balloons Podcast

We continue this episode in chapter 7. Looking further into Daniel’s prophetic dream leads us to consider the ancient of days and the four empires alluded to in the dream. The prophecies in this book are valuable, important, and complex. We can rest assured that God is in control and we are called to faithfulness—even when circumstances are beyond our control and our finite nature clouds our abili...

In this episode, we begin chapter 7 of The Book of Daniel, moving beyond the historical account of Daniel’s life and into his prophetic message. We start by examining the structure of the book and the nature of its prophecies. The focus in Chapter Seven is on Daniel’s dream and the four beasts. Using images similar to the Book of Revelation, Daniel’s ultimate message is also the same - a call to w...

In this episode, we continue looking at Daniel 6, and the story of Daniel’s deliverance from the lion’s den. We also explore his life as a whole and his example of what it takes to be a faithful witness. We pick up the story with King Darius having just signed a decree into law demanding the people worship him.

In Chapter 6 we begin exploring the story of Daniel and the Lions’ Den. This chapter is the last historical section of The Book, concluding the narrative of Daniel and his interactions with those around him. Leading up to the Lions Den, we examine powerful rulers, taxes, satraps and the role they play in the story, culminating in the king’s decree.

In the last episode we explored King Nebuchadnezzar's response to Daniel’s dream interpretations. In this episode, we talk about the handwriting on the wall. In Chapter 5, Daniel interprets this miracle and awes the people of Babylon. Just like He does with King Nebuchadnezzar, God takes modern leaders and people in power and invites them into The Kingdom of God. These authorities have an opportun...

In this episode we explore the fourth chapter of The Book of Daniel. We examine King Nebuchadnezzar’s response to Daniel’s interpretation of his dream. The King also has a second dream requiring interpretation. One of the most interesting figures in Scripture, King Nebuchadnezzar, learns a powerful lesson, humbles himself before God, and bears witness to His Sovereign guidance.

In this episode, we continue to look at the Roman era and its effect on global attitude and perspective. The Roman Empire is made “holy” but relatively soon experiences a magnanimous fall. The message of The Book of Daniel is similar to the message of Revelation: no matter what the circumstances, no matter who is in charge (Babylon, Rome, or Israel itself), our call is the same. Be a faithful witn...

We continue to examine Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The dream consists of four different civilizations: gold, silver, iron, and bronze that represent the progression of the human story. The nation of Israel, exiled in Babylon, has a unique part to play in this traditional progression of nations. God and his holy people are set apart, and will not follow the same script.

In this episode, we come to the end of the fiery furnace incident and its repercussion. The miraculous intervention of God protects his faithful people. Many years later, The Apostle Paul addresses the early church on submission to authority and how to interpret the fiery furnace passage. This story, like all of The Book of Daniel, is a call to be faithful to God and to live life as God commands.

In this episode Daniel and his companions bear witness to the power and authority of God through the miracle of the fiery furnace. A royal edict to worship a statue, a man-made idol, puts the faith of believers to the test. Those faithful to God refused to worship anything other than The Lord, unwilling to put any false gods before them.

The Book of Daniel is imploring a message found throughout the whole of Scripture: be a faithful witness and don’t fear death. In this episode, we encounter the enigmatic dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylonian ruler seeks far and wide to have his dream interpreted. None of his men can do it, and the interpretation comes through the most unlikely of sources - a Hebrew exile named Daniel who a...

We continue to explore the historical context surrounding The Book of Daniel. In this episode we’ll look at the historic and infamous fall of Israel. In response to the heartbreaking exile of God’s people, Daniel stewards his talents with courage and wisdom. He masters the new culture while remaining holy and set apart. But, it is not Daniel alone; he is guided by mentors, disciplined by wise coun...

In this episode, we continue to explore the historical background of the book of Daniel. Who was Daniel? Why does his story matter? In the very first chapter, we see Daniel’s resolve to obey God despite an incredible amount of temptation, refusing to defile himself. His narrative reveals the power of choices in the midst of temptation. If we are going to overcome, as God calls us to, we have to ta...

In this episode we begin our study of The Book of Daniel. What events led to the writing of The Book of Daniel? What was happening in Daniel’s world? Just like The Book of Revelation, Daniel is mainly a call to believers to overcome the trials of this world. No matter what circumstances we face, and Daniel faces some incredible ones, we have the ability to overcome and serve as faithful witnesses...

In the final episode of this season, we finish with the last verses of Revelation 22. They are full of beauty and hope for those who have overcome. The ones who have served as a faithful witness for the Kingdom of God enter eternity as full participants in that Kingdom. They will see God’s face and dwell in his throne room! The words of Revelation are true and will happen soon. Keep watch, discern...

We examine the final chapter in The Book of Revelation. Here we see the new city where God and man dwell together. We see the river of life flowing from the throne of God into the tree of life. There is no more curse. The believers will be serving and worshipping God. The scene is bursting with life, the result and reward of living as a faithful witness.

We continue with the thrilling imagery of Revelation 21. The picture brings us back to the beginning, conjuring scenes from The Garden of Eden. Revelation is often viewed as an end, but is actually a new beginning. Everything is redeemed and renewed. God’s justice is fulfilled and his grace is overflowing. The great hope of our lives is that - no matter what occurs - we have the opportunity to ove...

We talk about what is perhaps the most well known section of Revelation: chapter 21. In this chapter, we are given a glimpse of the new heavens and new earth. It shows us what is in store for believers, a detailed account of the age to come. God will dwell with men. Christ and his bride, the church, will come together. There will be no more evil, completing the final act of redemption and the rest...

In this episode, we address some commonly asked questions related to the end times using the truths we have discovered in this series. Using the entire Bible – from the prophets to Paul’s letters, we explore the truth of the end times and what it means for our life on Earth. In the final analysis, we are urged to be faithful witnesses and to not be afraid of death. 

We take some time to review what we have seen in Revelation so far. We pick up John’s vision with the judgment seat in chapter 20. Death is not the end of our lives; it is a transition into the next manifestation of our existence. The Judgment Seat awaits as we make the transition into Eternity. We should be living our lives on Earth in light of this truth - understanding that our choices matter. 

We explore the diverse ways Scripture talks about fire. In the last episode, we talked about the way it destroys death and Hades. Now, we look at what the Bible means when it says God is a consuming fire. Both the Old and New Testaments use this phrase to describe God. In Revelation, the old earth is destroyed by fire to make way for the new. Although believers are heirs of God and will reign with...

We continue looking into the repercussions of The Last Millennium. Our previous episodes have explored what happens to the faithful witnesses. Now, we take a look at death, Hades, Sheol, and the lake of fire. We often view these terms as the same thing, but they are actually quite distinct. When Christ initiates The Second Death, Hades is thrown into the lake of fire, ushering in the victory of Ch...

In Revelation 20, Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire. Evil is destroyed. It is described as The Second Death. In our last episode, we explored what happens to believers, but in this episode, Tim acknowledges that we can’t know what will happen to those who were not faithful witnesses. In the tension of this mystery, all we need to know is that being a faithful witness is totally wort...

We explore whether the thousand-year reign described in Chapter 20 of Revelation is literal or metaphorical. During this millennium the dragon and accuser, Satan, is thrown into the pit of damnation, ushering a new age. These thousand years are an important time for those who will reign - the martyrs, apostles, and followers of Jesus – all who have lived a life of faithfulness. 

We continue looking at Chapter 19 of Revelation, the victory chapter. We begin with the image of the marriage of the lamb. The bible says that the Church is the bride of Christ. How should we prepare to be wedded to Christ? By living faithfully and not fearing death. We should share the gospel with our neighbors through the way we live our lives. We are to be faithful servants and prepare for the...