God may choose to delay judgment on the wicked until their sin reaches full bloom; the possession of the land of Canaan would not happen in Abrahams lifetime, but more than 400 years later after the suffering of the people of God (see Genesis 15:12-17). 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). This angel responded and gave Daniel understanding into his dream as he interpreted it for him. Remember Daniel was in his 60s when he received this revelation. (3) The finest commentary on the prophecy of Daniel 7 comes from our Lord Himself. 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.). That was bad enough, from the religious leaders perspective, but the way in which He answered them was the last straw. He gave Daniel a general summary of the dream, These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him." Our study of this chapter will isolate what troubled Daniel about the future. The saints should neither believe nor behave on the basis of how things appear to be (the wicked prospering and prevailing over the righteous). As Daniel sought to discover more truth about the fourth beast he added some details that he had left out of his first description. Both the statue parts (made of different metals) and the beasts represent kings and kingdoms. During times of oppression, it may appear the saints are being defeated and that Gods kingdom is but wishful thinking. 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. Valentina's bond with Sophie, Sid's reaching out to Jesse, and Charlie trying hard to bring Sid and Jesse back together so that the group can go back to being their normal selves and not be an awkward bunch of people not wanting to discuss actual problems. 3:15; Zc. He distinguishes himself by his ability to overcome the whole earth, crushing it under foot. In chapter 5, King Belshazzars dream should have greatly alarmed him, but apparantly it did not. What is its message to Daniel, to the Jews, and to us? When He came with His kingdom, they would be sure to recognize Him (24:27). Daniel 2: Nebuchadnezzar's Dream by Larry Murray King Nebuchadnezzar had a puzzling dream that no one could explainuntil God gave the interpretation to Daniel. It seems that three of the kings try to resist him and he overthrows them by force. Neither is prophecy written to make us happy or to feel good. Through the vision of a magnificent, awe-inspiring statue, God reveals the future for Gentile kings and their kingdoms. 16 I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. 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. The beasts are a horrifying and frightening sight; the heavenly court scene is one of regal splendor and beauty. He intends to make changes in time and in law. The king called for his magi to interpret the nightmare. 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. What so upset Daniel about the future? The timeline reads as follows: The king knew that Daniel spoke the truth. 4 The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. The emphasis is positive. Nothing has caused him to panic or depart from his faith and practice as a godly Jew. Would this horn Daniels vision revealed oppose the people of God and even blaspheme God Himself? They surely knew this text to be messianic, but they had always applied it to the Gentiles. If, in Gods eyes, a day is as 1,000 years and 1,000 years as a day (2 Peter 3:8), then the coming of our Lord has only been a few days from beginning to end. Verses 15-28 contain the divine interpretation of this vision. Students will learn that they can trust God in difficult times because in the end God wins the battle over the enemy of this world Satan. 17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The only human things mentioned of the fourth beast are his eyes and his mouth. We have already seen time frame in Revelation referring to half of the seven-year tribulation. In Gods economy, things are not what they appear to be. 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. In fact, Daniel has trouble interpreting some of his own dreams. 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. Daniel said the king's dream was about a giant statue that was destroyed by a stone cut out of a mountain. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. The fourth beast in Daniels dream relates to the fourth kingdom in Nebuchadnezzars dream, the Roman empire. With the commencement of Belshazzars co-regency may have come not only a rejection of the Jewish faith and worship, but a new wave of persecution directed toward it. As Daniel continues to watch, another horn emerges, as three of the other horns are plucked out by the roots to make room for it. One of those gaps is found in Daniel 7. God has revealed in this interpretation what He wants us to know and has kept back that which we need not know. No wonder this vision causes Daniel such distress. What is it that these men are testifying against You? 63 But Jesus kept silent. 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. Each beast has its own unique characteristics. A true account of what happened can only be gathered by reading Daniel 2:18; Daniel 2:28 by the side of this verse. [1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. If a man cannot remember the dream he saw (it means): his (personal) god is angry with him. This horn is called by different names in the New Testament: In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 the little horn is called the man of lawlessness. Revelation 13:1-2 calls the little horn the beast. The name he is best known by in found in 1 John 2:18-24 where John calls the little horn the Antichrist.. In the second scene, heaven calmly prepares for court, which will determine that the time for judgment has come. From Daniel 2:4b to the end of chapter 7, the original text was written in Aramaic (the language of Babylon in that day). 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. What God declares in prophecy, He reveals as well in history. The beasts are hardly worthy of prose, but the court of heaven deserves a description of the finest words. It is virtually the opposite of the term beast. The expression, Son of man, is not new to Daniel. The prophecies of Daniel 7 speak of a future day of reckoning, foreshadowed by the actions of Belshazzar and the judgment of God on him and his kingdom. It's build upon the passage in Daniel 7 where he has a disturbing dream. Gogglebox star Stephen explained the reason for him and husband Daniel Lustif missing the show on Instagram. We need to be waiting and prepared for His return. 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. International Standard Version so Daniel went to ask Nebuchadnezzar for an appointment to see him , and it was granted him so that he could reveal the meaning to the king. "He's home just in time for #gogglebox we are not on this week as Daniels been away . I have heard a number of attempts to explain the gaps in Old Testament prophecy. Nebuchadnezzar may have started badly, but by the time we read of him in Daniel 4 he seems to be a true believer in God, urging the citizens of his kingdom to worship and serve Him. Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. It is significant for us to note Daniels reaction to this revelation from God. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these: I did not include the insert today because I have already included it several times. 74 The personal cost of receiving divine revelation is never underestimated in the Old Testament (cf. While most of those in this kingdom may not have had a true conversion, at least they tolerated the Jewish faith as the religion of the state. He not only speaks against the Most High, he oppresses the saints. It not only bore witness to the conversion of this king, but encouraged all of the subjects of Babylonian rule to worship the God of Israel. The next portion of the statue in Daniel 2 was the chest and arms of silver which represented the Medo-Persian Empire which was even larger than the Babylonian empire. 5. Daniel still dreaming said he approached one of those standing there. 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. At this point the revelation ended. During this ten-nation confederation another ruler will rise as described by the little horn. In the first scene, heavenly winds are employed to whip up the sea from which the four beasts emerges. The woman endures in the view of the final outcome of the process. Having related the dream, Daniel then interprets it: it concerns four successive kingdoms, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar, which will be replaced by the everlasting kingdom of the God of heaven. This scene in Daniel is also similar to a prophecy recorded in the Book of Revelation: 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?. The second and third beasts are briefly described in verses 5 and 6. Our deliverance from the power of sin and the penalty of death has been accomplished by our Lord, who suffered in our place. 77 According to Baldwin, This verse [13] has been the subject of more scholarly papers than any other in the book, so indicating its centrality, not only for Daniel but for the New Testament also. Baldwin, p. 142. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. This chapter is a history, but it is the history of a prophecy, by a dream and the interpretation . From the context, it would seem that Daniels distress is the result of the wickedness and oppression of the world kingdoms which are represented by the beasts, and by the knowledge that the saints will be oppressed and even overcome for a period of time. They acknowledging their inability are judged to die. Verses 1-14 contain the vision which God gave to Daniel. Should we be troubled as well? Lion - Babylon. The angels went on to add that the saints of the Highest One will be given into Antichrists hand for a time, times, and half a time. Other biblical prophecies bear on the prophecies of Daniel, particularly preceding or contemporary prophecies. Daniel boiled down his vision to its essence, so we would not fail to understand the message he meant to convey to us. Thirdly (and most importantly), the prophecies of Daniel mean exactly what God says they mean, nothing more and nothing less. (6) None of the kings or the kingdoms are identified. For this reason, I wish to clearly state the foundational presuppositions and principles on which this exposition of Daniel is based. Between the first half of verse 23 and the second half of this verse we have what has been referred to as the great parenthesis in the Old Testament, the mystery of the church and the Church Age which was not revealed to the world until after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. (4) This is the first prophecy in the book revealed directly to Daniel. Daniel writes that at this point the revelation was ended. The eleventh horn may hope to change the time, but in Gods plan this king is granted a time, times, and half a time three and a half years to oppose and oppress the saints. Child-bearing is a process which involves suffering and glory. His mouth is used to speak boastfully. Because of this we can have a greater understanding of this dream than Daniel did. This part of Daniels dream is new information that was not conveyed in Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter two. There seems to be a close connection between the vision of Nebuchadnezzar, which is revealed and interpreted in chapter 2, and the vision of Daniel in chapter 7. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for them to have a child. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.. (3) What principles should guide and govern our attempt to interpret the prophecy of this chapter? This morning we are going to go back to Daniel 7 and look at the rest of the chapter where Daniel has the dream interpreted. 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. The fourth beast is a fourth king, different than the others. 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. Daniel described the beast as having iron teeth and that it devours, crushes, and tramples under its feet all that stands in its way. Second, the prophecies of Daniel are to be understood in the light of the entire Book of Daniel, of the Old Testament, and of the Bible as a whole. 5 And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time. So they came and stood before the king. As we move into the second half of Daniel 7 and begin to dissect Daniels dream with the help of Gods Word and the help of history past because some of this dream which was yet future for Daniel is past history for us. He questioned His disciples so that they could confess that He, the Son of Man, was the Messiah (16:13f.). Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. - Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. Interpretations of Daniels prophecies differ widely. In verse 1 Daniel indicates his vision came to him in the first year of the reign of Belshazzar. The fourth beast appears to differ from the other three in that he is more beastly, more powerful, more destructive, and more arrogant. Jesus quoted the words of Daniel 7:13. Four kings will establish four kingdoms, and some of these kingdoms have a number of kings. 12 and he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. God will establish His kingdom, and that kingdom, unlike the kingdoms of men, is eternal. In Daniels dream the Roman empire was represented by such a terrible beast that Daniel could name no animal which fit its description. Daniel 2:1). The saints must believe and behave according to what God has promised about the future the righteous will possess the kingdom of God forever. His followers too must be alert and ready for His return (24:44). They will serve and obey Him forever. In the verses following our lesson text, the vision is explained (Daniel 7:21-27). We must approach prophecy with fear and reverence. Now, in verse 23, the angelic interpreter explains the relationship of the boastful beast and the coming of the eternal kingdom of God. When they came in and stood before the king, 3 Prophecy is not revealed in a historical vacuum. This vision was an interactive vision, as Daniel was not only present in the vision but was able to approach one standing by to ask the meaning of what he saw. Even the fate of this fourth beast is different than his three predecessors, as his life and his kingdom seem to end at the same moment. (1) It follows the narrative concerning Mishael, Hananiah and Azariah in the matter of Nebuchadnezzar's golden image (Daniel 3). 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. Hosted by Michael Barbaro and Sabrina . Before the coming of Christ, who would? The angel told Daniel that at the end of those three and a half years the court would sit for judgment and the dominion (a word in Aramaic that means kingdom or empire and the citizens or subjects of that empire) would be taken away from the Antichrist, and the Antichrist and his followers will be annihilated and destroyed forever. 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? When the iniquity of the blasphemous horn reaches full bloom and his appointed time to rule is fulfilled, God will destroy him, casting his body into the fire. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. Alexandra was also intrigued by the profession Spencer was in, which made her want to spend more time with him. Daniel 5 is an illustration and a prototype of what will happen in the end times, as described in the prophecy of Daniel 7. 13 I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.77 14 And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language Might serve Him. The revelation of the writing on the banquet hall wall, already described in chapter 5, actually happened later, on the last day of Belshazzars life. God also allows the wicked to persist and even to prosper, so that those whom He has chosen might be saved (Romans 9:22-24). Suddenly, the boasting beast is silenced by death, and his body is cast into the burning fire. Chapter 2. How easily we turn from what is revealed to speculate about what has been concealed (see Deuteronomy 29:29). When that happens, Daniel goes for option #2 of those listed above: he asks one of the people in his dream to interpret what is happening for him ( Da 7:15-16 ). 2 Peter 3:8-9, But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. (Daniel 7:1718, NASB95)[2] The four beasts that Daniel saw in his dream were four kings and represented the four kingdoms of these kings. He only called on him in a moment of sheer panic when no one else could help, and only then because of the recommendation of the queen mother. His vision in chapter 4 should have produced more distress than it did. He staying the decree is brought to the king. We should note Daniels distress in chapter 7 before turning to the other prophecies in Daniel, where we will find that prophecy very often produces distress. The next three are waking visions seen in the presence of angels, followed by an appearance of the Messiah - the Son of Man - to interpret the vision for Daniel. We are told the Old Testament prophet could not see the distance between the first and the second coming of our Lord, just as one cannot see the distance between two mountains, when viewed from afar. The words of Daniel which applied to the beasts now found application to them. The prophecy of Daniel 7 nevertheless had great relevance and application to those in Daniels day. Chapter 7 reveals in broad terms what the future holds. 1. (1) Why does Daniel indicate the historical setting of the vision he receives in chapter 7? Daniel was exiled to Babylon when he was still a teenager. Then, in Daniel 2, the Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream that only Daniel could interpret. 21 I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. The transfiguration of our Lord was but a foretaste of His coming glorious kingdom (16:28). 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. In the Psalms and also in Daniel 7, the expression Son of Man begins to take on a more technical meaning, referring to the Messiah, who will sit on the throne of His father, David, to rule over men forever. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. This angel, beginning in the second half of verse 23 is describing the revived Roman empire which is yet future. The other prophecies were revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar and interpreted by Daniel. Eugene, Ore. : Harvest House Publishers, 2006, [5]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. Encouraged to do so, it savagely devours. The death of this king brings about the end of his kingdom. Twice in chapter 7 Daniel speaks of his distress: As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me (verse 15). The point of this prophecy is not to tell us who future kings will be, but rather what they will be like. I encourage you to compare the statements of Daniel 2:21-22, 44, 47; 4:3, 34-35, 37; 6:26 with the content and declarations of Daniel 7. Unfortunately, the king did not heed the dreams warning, and his kingdom was taken away for a time. Nevertheless, Daniel tells no one, keeping the matter to himself and suffering a quiet agony over the future events God has revealed to him. Usually it refers to a person as a human being. 3 While they are saying, Peace and safety! then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. Then the saints will receive the kingdom which will never end. This is what we need to know from Daniels vision, rather than the identity of the beasts. Daniel (Daniel 2; 4): As He had done for Joseph, God placed Daniel in a position of power and influence by allowing him to interpret a foreign ruler's dream. (8) Is there any relationship between Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter 2 and Daniels dream in chapter 7? He was chosen by God to speak to the Jews in Babylon and to show them God's future plans. (6) How important is it for us to identity the kings and the kingdoms mentioned in our text? So, I began the review by looking at the first 14 verses where Daniel gives us a summary of the visions he had as he dreamed in his sleep. The vision comes to Daniel in Belshazzars first year.78 A subsequent and related vision comes to him in this kings third year (see 8:1). The vision plays on before Daniel, almost as though in answer to his desire to know more. The statue had a head of gold which corresponds to the first beast Daniel saw and described as a lion with the wings of an eagle. And yet God said they would. In the first use of this expression, being a son of man was contrasted with being God: God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Where it has not caused distress, it should have. Daniel urged them to pray for mercy from the God of heaven, . The precise meaning of the symbols of the raised side and the three ribs is illusive. The saints of the Highest One are given all the kingdoms of the earth for an everlasting kingdom. (5) While the process involves wicked kings and nations and the suffering of the saints, the culmination is the establishment of Gods eternal kingdom. History has shown this to be true in the past, and prophecy assures us that it will be true in the future. Chapter 2 contains a very significant prophecy, revealed by God to king Nebuchadnezzar. Please stand in honor of the reading of Gods Word and follow along as I read verses 15-28. The third beast is leopard-like, with four wings and four heads, and it is given dominion. Prophecy provides men the opportunity to think and act in a way which pleases God, who determines the future and who reveals future events to men. At this point the revelation ended. Desiring a more detailed explanation, he apparently asked for one and received it. Chapter 7 - In the first vision Daniel sees the same kingdoms, but this time he sees them as beasts. 9:1; 12:1, AV, RV), and the book of Daniel insists here and in subsequent chapters (8:27; 10:1, 10, 11, 15, 18) on the anxiety and psychological turmoil involved in receiving, even at Gods hand, understanding of the future course of history. Joyce C. Baldwin, Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1978), p. 143. 8 While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts. At this time the kingdom of God is established. The Son of Man was also Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). There is fairly strong inferential evidence that Nebuchadnezzar was represented by the first beast, the winged lion. Editing allows an author to set aside details which are not significant and focus on the essence of the message he is trying to communicate. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. The beast was lifted up and made to stand like a man. Consider these lessons as we conclude. According to our text, the prophecies of Daniel 7 will not be fulfilled for a considerable period of time. According to verse 1, the written record of the revelation Daniel received in his first night vision is but a summary of the prophecy he received. Daniel was given several prophetic dreams & visions; and in the seventh chapter of his writings, he records his dream of the Four Beasts, and the interpretation thereof given by an angel.This vision demonstrates the succession of kingdoms and is the very framework of all prophesy regarding the violent opposition against the Kingdom of God - waged by the Kingdom of Satan, who is allowed to . When the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth, having added perfect humanity to His undiminished deity, He spoke of Himself very often as the Son of Man. In the Gospels, Jesus began not only to identify Himself as the Messiah, the promised Son of Man, but also to explain all that this involved.
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