that I'm under conviction that we need to understand here at the end of the world is that no matter what leader in what kingdom takes place that the Lord is fully in charge of this situation. Now I know Adventists on both sides of the issue unfortunately that would argue that in the election of Bush and Gore that Gore should have won or the one side will say Bush should have won and brothers and sisters those kind of political questions are outside the scope of the present truth for Adventism at the end of the world but nevertheless the understanding that we should have and the understanding that is being conveyed here in Daniel 11 is that God is ruling and overruling in who the leaders are and what they accomplish. I believe we have to understand that because the information is is that the time of trouble that is before us is the greatest time of trouble there ever will be and we need to have the confidence of Daniel the confidence that Daniel can walk into a crisis situation like he did with Belshazzar when the handwriting was on the wall Daniel comes into a situation that he obviously knew was going to be a tremendous crisis Daniel had it figured out that if not then and there in a very short period of time Cyrus the Medes and Persians were going to come and conquer Daniel and he had the the faith the patience the the character to walk into that crisis situation and tell Belshazzar no I don't I don't want your gift that you're giving me I'll read this to you and he explained it to it and he was symbolizing what God's people are going to have to do at the end of the world in a crisis situation these hundred and forty four thousand are going to be the people that understand the true perspective of the powers that be in the interacting of the different struggles that are going on in the world and we're going to have to have the same confidence the same trust that Daniel had in order to sort these things out and give the faithful witness and the faithful testimony during this latter rain time period and one of the truths of the Bible that's put forth here and just these very few verses or just enough in verse two is that God was directly involved with the leaders of the world he's directly involved with Ben Laden he's directly involved with Bush he's directly involved with Pope John Paul the second