Note that the description of the beasts is written in prose, while the description of the heavenly court in verses 9-10 and of the Son of Man in verses 13-14 is written in poetry form. At this time the kingdom of God is established. He not only speaks against the Most High, he oppresses the saints. Considering this text has changed my opinion about the gap in the prophecies of the Old Testament. In his vision, Daniel observed the sea being stirred up into a raging storm by the four winds of heaven. This signifies that the events which follow have been ordained by God. In chapter 5, King Belshazzars dream should have greatly alarmed him, but apparantly it did not. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. The ten horns are of interest to him, but most of all that final horn which arose, surpassing and replacing three others and speaking boastfully. The other seven will then likely submit out of fear or a sense of the unavoidable consequences of resisting represented by this little horn growing larger than the seven. His thoughts alarm him, and his face pales. Daniel 5 is an illustration and a prototype of what will happen in the end times, as described in the prophecy of Daniel 7. Are we supposed to discover their identity? No wonder His words stung and prompted them to act as they did. ), Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation, Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular, Daniel -- 'God is my judge', an Israelite leader in Babylon, Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular, Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular, Preposition | third person masculine singular, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular determinate, Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular determinate. Gods plan and program are carried out on His schedule, not ours (see 2 Peter 2:8-10). No wonder interpreters differ about the details. In those days, as in our own, there are always those are too quick to conclude that the kingdom of God has come (see Matthew 24:4, 6, 8, 24-28; 2 Thessalonians 2:1ff.). God will establish His kingdom, and that kingdom, unlike the kingdoms of men, is eternal. Daniel finds nothing to compare to it. When God granted Daniel the wisdom to interpret the king's dream, it launched Daniel's long career as a political leader, trusted adviser, and well-known prophet. God has revealed in this interpretation what He wants us to know and has kept back that which we need not know. What it does not destroy or consume with its teeth, it crushes under foot, much like a bull in a china shop. God stirred up the sea, and from its foaming, raging waters came forth four horrifying beasts. Many Old Testament prophets shared Daniels distress as a result of the prophecies they received and often conveyed to others.74 Why does the prophecy of Daniel 7 cause this godly man so much consternation? 1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet, and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates. The prophecy of Daniel 11 includes amazing details about great empires, political developments and end-time powers that would affect the Jews and all people today. If you remember as I have already stated, much of the interpretation of this dream could be found in chapter 2. Da Dn). Prophecy reveals that which we would not and could not expect apart from divine revelation. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. In other words, this persecution of the saints will not go on unchecked but will be defined to a definite period of time. The fourth beast is a fourth king, different than the others. Verse 2. I have heard a number of attempts to explain the gaps in Old Testament prophecy. When the sin and oppression of evil men reaches a predetermined point, God will remove them and establish His promised eternal kingdom. We see a gapan almost insurmountable gapbetween suffering and glory; God does not. Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, Upon the son of man whom Thou didst make strong for Thyself (Psalm 80:17). When his appointed time is over, God will destroy this king and his kingdom and establish His eternal kingdom on the earth. Through the vision of a magnificent, awe-inspiring statue, God reveals the future for Gentile kings and their kingdoms. The blasphemous horn of Daniel 7, which goes so far as to oppose the people of God, is suddenly taken by death, and his kingdom is removed. [1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. (5) Prophecy is not written as hype but revealed to produce the hope of glory and endurance in present tribulation. As I stated two weeks ago the leopard was noted for its swiftness and the two pairs of wings suggests added swiftness beyond the animals own ability. For the remainder of Nebuchadnezzars life, it seems that religion in the kingdom of Babylon was at least favorable to the worship of the God of the Jews. The seriousness of the prophetic truth personally affected Daniel, motivating godly fear and self-examination. (1) The troubling dream. See John F. Walvoord, Daniel: The Key to Prophetic Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 149. Gogglebox star Stephen explained the reason for him and husband Daniel Lustif missing the show on Instagram. Belshazzar came to power several years after the death of Nebuchadnezzar and seems to have turned completely away from the God of Israel. Daniel is greatly distressed by the vision which he sees in chapter 7. Daniel returned to his house and explained the situation to his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Prophecy is necessary then so that men are reassured of divine deliverance and blessing, as well as divine judgment (see 2 Peter 2:4-9). Daniel explained to the king that the statue represented four successive kingdoms based upon power and wealth, beginning with Babylon, while the stone and mountain signified a kingdom established by God that would never be destroyed nor given to other people. Those who populate the earth after the tribulation will give their allegiance to Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. The angel goes on to describe what the Antichrist will do: He will speak out against the Most High, he will be boastful and arrogant, he will deny that the Most High is God, he will deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Prophecy is necessary because Gods thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways. What God says, He will do. (7) Prophecy is revealed, not to give us the particulars of things to come, but to change our perspective. In the Old Testament, the expression son of man was used most frequently in reference to men, who were merely (as opposed to God) human. 74 The personal cost of receiving divine revelation is never underestimated in the Old Testament (cf. After this chapter, the book returns to the Hebrew language. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 4 and they worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him? 5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. The account of the writing on the wall and the death of Belshazzar (obviously the last year of his reign) is found in Daniel 5. 10 A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, and the books were opened. The statue has four parts; there are four beasts. At the outset of the account of his vision, Daniel wants his reader to know the historical context in which this prophecy was given and to consider its interpretation and application in the light of that context. In chapter 2 we read that Nebuchadnezzar was troubled and terrified by his dream, we read here in verse 15 that Daniel was distressed in his spirit because he knew that God had just shown him a panorama of tremendous events yet future and Daniels distress was his lack of understanding his dream. Specifically, the account of The Bad News at Belshazzars Banquet (not a bad title for that lesson) in chapter 5 was given to us so that we could better understand the prophecies of chapters 7 and 8. What God declares in prophecy, He reveals as well in history. Rose withdraws the power from her chest, which takes the form of a ruby heart that then cracks as Unity dies peacefully in her sleep. ET. God is able to raise up kings and put them down. 1:17) that Daniel had understanding in dreams; and here we have an early and eminent instance of it, which soon made him famous in the court of Babylon, as Joseph by the same means came to be so in the court of Egypt. Verse 17. The distance in time of the fulfillment of Daniel 7 said something very important to the captive Jews of Daniels day. Choosing his words tactfully, Daniel asks Arioch why the king has made such a decree. The last kingdom has at least eleven kings. The words of Daniel which applied to the beasts now found application to them. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him." The use of the word time in Daniel is understood to be years. Nebuchadnezzar's Threat One night, Nebuchadnezzar awoke frightened by a dream. In the latter days, before the kingdom of God is established on the earth, kings and kingdoms will become worse and worse. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. A true account of what happened can only be gathered by reading Daniel 2:18; Daniel 2:28 by the side of this verse. Some people have a rather irreverent attitude toward prophecy, they approach it as a pastime and they delight in figuring out complex date schemes and drawing detailed diagrams of the future. If you remember from two weeks ago the bear was raised up on one side, this was to indicate that one part of this united kingdom overshadowed the other portion. In spite of all these beasts do and say, in spite of their power and even their success, neither they nor their kingdoms will last. If taken seriously, we will find the future sobering as well. He will rule over all nations forever. The first beast was lion-like, with wings like that of an eagle.79 Its wings were plucked from it; if this happened in mid-air, he must have plummeted to the ground. We will deal with the meaning and application of Daniels vision later on in our questions and answers. God is eternal, and so is His plan for all creation. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. It is significant for us to note Daniels reaction to this revelation from God. Subsequent revelations in the Book of Daniel which Daniel received were closely associated with some kind of agony or distress (see 8:17, 27; 9:20-21; 10:2-3, 7-10, 17; 12:8). Before the kingdom of God is established on the earth, four earthly kingdoms will rise and fall. His mouth is used to speak boastfully. Daniel was terrified or alarmed by the scenes he had seen in his mind and desired to understand what they meant. (7) No identification is made of the saints as Jews or Gentiles. There seems to be no Jewish nationalistic emphasis here, as there will be later.75. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these: In fact, Daniel has trouble interpreting some of his own dreams. It would be but a very few years until Cyrus would come to power and assist the Jews to return to Jerusalem and the land of Israel. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 18 But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. 19 Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts, and which was larger in appearance than its associates. Since the last kingdom and the prophecies associated with it have not yet been fulfilled, we must in some way be a part of that kingdom. This takes place until the Ancient of Days comes and judgment is given to the saints, at the time the eternal kingdom becomes their possession. For the time, it was these Jewish leaders who were beastly, arrogant, and blasphemous, and because of this they would suffer divine judgment. 9 If any one has an ear, let him hear. The saints of the Highest One are given all the kingdoms of the earth for an everlasting kingdom. The prophecy of this chapter is divinely interpreted. The righteous will suffer. The third beast is leopard-like, with four wings and four heads, and it is given dominion. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, [2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. The angel that Daniel was talking with gave Daniel greater detail concerning the fourth beast; he described this fourth beast as a fourth kingdom coming from the earth, it will be different from all the rest, this kingdom will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. requires it of the Chaldeans, by promises and threats. The death of this king brings about the end of his kingdom. 27 Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him. 28 At this point the revelation ended. (8) The four beasts are all different, with the last standing apart from the first three. (4) Suffering is to be expected by the saints, before they enter into the glorious kingdom of God. This fourth beast has the distinction of ten horns. Daniel explains that each of these metals represents a kingdom that would rule the world, and the stone is God . a. As the beast continues to boast, a second scene commences in Daniels vision, and for a period of time both scenes run simultaneously. 1. And the high priest said to Him, I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus said to him, You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, AND COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN (Matthew 26:59-64). What so upset Daniel about the future? The expression, son of man, is not new to Daniel nor to the Jews of his day. Daniel made it very clear that the dream and the interpretation had come for the one true God. If we go back to Daniel 2 and look at the statue in Nebuchadnezzars dream, we find that it too represented four kings and their kingdoms. Chapter 2 - The original dream describing the future kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greek, Roman, kingdom of God. Daniel described the beast as having iron teeth and that it devours, crushes, and tramples under its feet all that stands in its way. Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. In Revelation it is also referred to as 42 months and 1260 days which all work out to 3 years. (Numbers 23:19). At this point the revelation ended. This beast is also unique among the four in that he grows 11 horns. (9) The interpretation of Daniels vision comes in two parts, beginning with a general interpretation and then a more specific one based on Daniels questions. Does this dream have any significance for us? 75 Everything in chapter 7 is on a world-wide scale, the empires of the beasts, the judgment, and the nations that worship and serve the one like mortal man. Daniel 7 indicates in the clearest way that prior to the coming of the kingdom of God the saints will suffer at the hand of the final horn and even be overpowered by him. The saints should also expect the wicked to prosper, for a season. Daniel writes that at this point the revelation was ended. The saints should neither believe nor behave on the basis of how things appear to be (the wicked prospering and prevailing over the righteous). At-A-Glance 1. A number of lessons from our text have broad application to our thinking and conduct as Christians. They surely knew this text to be messianic, but they had always applied it to the Gentiles. Prophecies are given so that we may look at history, especially events occurring in our own lifetime, from Gods perspective. The first of Daniel's four beasts is "like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle" ( Daniel 7:4 ). Things are not as they appear to be! The second scene portrays the establishment of the thrones on which the Ancient of Days and those holding court are to be seated to pronounce judgment. Highest One are given all the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greek, Roman, of... 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