The Coming King

Daniel 7

July 17, 2005

Background:

A.     The second half of Daniel is not sequential but is a collection of Daniel’s visions The imaginations of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis have given us some entertaining reading and as for Lewis’ writings, some parables to consider, but these are nothing compared to the dreams Daniel received from God. They were frightening and bewildering and things he didn’t want to share with many. This first one occurs somewhere between the fourth and fifth chapter of Daniel which is about 35 years after Daniel 2. Indeed it is built upon Daniel 2 and takes us farther about 553 BC.

B.     Note that Daniel only wrote down the summary of what he saw… just “the main facts.” This chapter has some dramatic symbols. Daniel wasn’t having an easy time. His people had been threaten with extension by other nations, now he sees more which will arise and each will cause damage but the last one will be the worst of them all. Yet, in the end it is God who has His way.

C.     Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was an image of Gold, silver, brass, iron and iron and clay. However grand we think man has become, we all stand on feet of clay. All the power and all the perceived value is going to be worth nothing when God sets up His kingdom.

D.     Daniel is a remarkable book written 2,500 years ago. It is so much like the Book of Revelation. The author’s were also very much alike in at least one important point: they were both “loved of God.”

I. The Symbols (Interpreted in vs. 15-28)

A. The Elements

1. Four winds (Eph. 2:2 & 6:12; spiritual forces are pictured here)

2. Great Sea (Mediterranean Sea/Gentile Nations: Rev. 17:15)

3. Storm – social turmoil

      B. The Four beasts

1. Winged lion = Babylon

      a. it was an animal that became a man: the story of Nebuchadnezzar (ch. 4)

2. Lop-sided bear with three ribs (three main nations it conquered): Medio-Persian Empire (used 56 nations ahead of their own troops – overwhelmed by numbers)

3. Four winged and four headed leopard = the four generals of Alexander the Great  who with great speed conquered the world – 13 years

4. A different beast… “it was different from all the beasts”

      a. dreadful, terrible, strong and devouring

      b. 10 horns (maybe a like a 5 point buck)

c. 1 little horn; eyes like a man; mouth speaking pompous words = the Anti-Christ who plucks up three of the first 10 by the roots.

C. The Mystery of the fourth beast

1. Our view of governments are like Neb’s image, but God’s view is that they are beastly

2. The world’s view of the Anti-Christ: peace, great motivational speaker, appealing, supernatural.

3. Anti-Christ can mean “against” or “instead of”

4. Whenever he appears he is always speaking grand things

5. 2 Thess. 2:4 “opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God”

6. Rev. 13

7. 1 John 2:18 “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.”

a. We may not be able to see the Antichrist now but we can identify those things which to us become Antichrist.

8. This beast troubles Daniel deeply

9. When will this happen? “In the days of these kings the God of heaeven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms an dit shall stand forever.” (Dan 2:44)

10. I have been watching with some interest the convergence of two things which seem at least at this point to be pillars upon which the Antichrist will stand. The first is that people will willingly give up civil freedoms for safety. (1 Thess. 5:3) Have you been listening to the rhetoric since the booming in London?

11. I have been listening to the call for intolerance of what is called fundamentalism. The problem with such labels is that they become metaphors for whatever some thinks is wrong and they then slap a label on it and people blindly follow. For example, we dismissed the weird voices blaming 9/11 on Christian but we are being blamed more and more as being the intolerant ones and it is becoming the excuse not to silence believers.

II. The Two Divine Beings

A.     The Ancient of Days

1. Thrones are put in place and the Ancient of Days is seated

2. Daniel doesn’t see the 24 elders as they are part of the church and that wasn’t revealed to the prophets

3. The thrones are set and judgment happens as the Little Horn/4th beast is at his height – “pompous words”(2x’s) and is destroyed – given to the flames

4. What is the picture here? God rules in the kingdom of man. His promises will endure forever and He will accomplish His purpose in you!

B.     The One Like Unto the Son of Man

1. Not the lion of the tribe of Judah nor Messiah nor Alpha and Omega… this is Jesus’ favorite term for referring to Himself.

2. He comes with clouds of heaven (mirad upon mirads of saints)

3. His kingdom is “given” to Him. What a contrast to the kingdoms of man! Love/hate; submission/subjugation; voluntary/mandatory; free will/forced labor; bond slaves; servitude and lastly it “shall not be destroyed.”

III. Some Observations

A.     The Coming of the Son of Man is Certain

1. the first advent time peace is in Dan. 9:24

2. the second advent time peace is also in Israel (Matt. 24: 32)

B.     The God is Sovereign

1. we don’t know the day or the hour but we are not children of the darkness and don’t have to be taken by surprise

2. Nothing happens without God knowing

3. Think about this. Daniel looked at a very frightening future but in the midst of it all and in the end he saw God. What do you see?

C.     The Books will be Opened

1. The Books of Heaven:

a. Book of the Living (Ps. 69:28)

b. Book of remembrance (Mal. 3:16)

c. Book of Life (Rev. 3:5 – 9x’s in Scripture)

2. God sees things from a different view point and will judge with a “righteous” judgment.