And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:13, NASB95)[5] The more we know about the future the more are hearts should be moved to practical preparation. What is it that these men are testifying against You? 63 But Jesus kept silent. The toasting of the gods of the Babylonians with the sacred temple vessels, recorded in chapter 5, may have been Belshazzars final act of blasphemy. Two weeks ago, we covered the first 14 verses, Daniels summary of his dream. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, [6]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. Passing over the first three beasts, his questions focus on the last beast. 11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. 5. The righteous will suffer. The saints should expect to suffer because of their faith, especially as the last days for the kingdoms of men draw near. As the destruction of the last beast and the blaspheming horn came as a complete shock to them, so the Lords coming will catch unbelievers unprepared as well (24:27-39). During the times of the Gentiles four empires, Daniel was told, would rise and rule over the land and people of Israel. The seriousness of the prophetic truth personally affected Daniel, motivating godly fear and self-examination. This part of Daniels dream is new information that was not conveyed in Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter two. 9 If any one has an ear, let him hear. 27 Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. A number of lessons from our text have broad application to our thinking and conduct as Christians. Before the coming of Christ, who would? Thus he said: The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. Daniel writes that at this point the revelation was ended. 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. Daniels response to the vision was far from assuring or calming. (19-26) Daniel explains the rise and coming fall of Nebuchadnezzar. He was chosen by God to speak to the Jews in Babylon and to show them God's future plans. The death of this king brings about the end of his kingdom. He wants to know more about this dreadful beast, different from the rest, especially in the destruction he wrought. 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. 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. The beasts emerge out of chaos and confusion; the heavenly court is calm and dignified. 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. In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's rule, he had a dream. (2) The prophecies of Daniel must be understood in relationship to and in light of the other prophecies of Daniel. So the king spoke, and said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you." 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. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. 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. Should we be troubled as well? It is significant for us to note Daniels reaction to this revelation from God. In addition to the beasts iron teeth, Daniel tells us that the beast had claws of bronze. 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. Daniel made it very clear that the dream and the interpretation had come for the one true God. The kingdom of God would not be established in Daniels lifetime, nor in the life of those who returned to the land of Israel from their captivity. So it was for our Lord (1 Peter 1:10-12), and so it will be for us. He would rise from the dead (12:40). (5) Above all, the prophecy in this chapter means precisely what God says it means in this text, nothing more and nothing less. However, it must have been in the latter part of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Because Daniel possessed wisdom bestowed by God and was conscientious in his work, he not only prospered during the reigns of successive rulers, but King Darius planned to put him in charge of the entire kingdom. 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 . La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, [3]Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. His mind was troubled. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.. The transfiguration of our Lord was but a foretaste of His coming glorious kingdom (16:28). Before the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt and brought into the land of Canaan, they suffered at the hands of the Egyptians. 10 If any one is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if any one kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. 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 The king called for his magi to interpret the nightmare. Two weeks ago, after studying Revelation 13 and seeing how much it relates to Daniel 7 I decided we needed to go back and review Daniel 7 which we have not looked at since 2011. 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. In my opinion, the most dramatic reference of our Lord to His identity as the Son of Man comes as the Lord Jesus stands on trial before the Sanhedrin and the high priest: 59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death; 60 and they did not find it, even though many false witnesses came forward. We know that Jesus came the first time to die and that He will come again to subdue His enemies and establish His kingdom. (1) Why does Daniel indicate the historical setting of the vision he receives in chapter 7? Daniel was not satisfied with just a summary of his dream, especially of the fourth beast that was so different than the other three, he wanted more detail. Things are not as they appear to be! Chapter 7 - In the first vision Daniel sees the same kingdoms, but this time he sees them as beasts. These are the things Daniel sees in the vision. The fulfillment of the prophecy of Belshazzars demise underscores the certainty of the fulfillment of Daniels vision in the last days. Peter reminds us of Gods patience, but His patience has a determined end. As Daniel continues to watch, someone descends with the clouds of heaven, one like a Son of Man. He is presented to the Ancient of Days, and to Him is given dominion, glory, and the eternal kingdom. The precise meaning of the symbols of the raised side and the three ribs is illusive. Our attention should be given to what is clearly and emphatically said. The woman endures in the view of the final outcome of the process. (3) The finest commentary on the prophecy of Daniel 7 comes from our Lord Himself. We will deal with the meaning and application of Daniels vision later on in our questions and answers. It is virtually the opposite of the term beast. The expression, Son of man, is not new to Daniel. Daniel urged them to pray for mercy from the God of heaven, . We are not of night nor o darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. Consider the birth of a child, remembering that Gods deliverance and salvation is likened to birth. This description certainly fits the account of Nebuchadnezzars plunge from power and sanity in chapter 4. 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? A lawsuit could force the F.D.A. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:1352, [4]LaHaye, Tim and Hindson, Ed., editors, The Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary. All of this is by divine design. In his interpretation of the dream, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar he was the head of gold. The second is Daniel's dream. (4) Prophecies not completely fulfilled cannot be fully understood until after their fulfillment. Each of the four beasts represent a king and thus a resulting kingdom. Daniel boiled down his vision to its essence, so we would not fail to understand the message he meant to convey to us. I also told you it corresponded to the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 2, but with more detail. 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). Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. Nebuchadnezzar was the first ruler of Babylon to have contact with Daniel. She makes it clear in a rather public fashion that she finds him desirable. The three ribs in the bears mouth between its teeth most likely represent Babylon, Egypt, and Lydia, three empires conquered by the Medo-Persian empire. The final push of the times of the Gentiles will last for 3 years, then the end will come, the end of the times of the Gentiles., THE JUDGMENT AND THE FIFTH KINGDOM (Daniel 7:26-27). He had interpreted dreams for this king and yet this dream caused Daniel to be alarmed and to feel physically sick. 24 As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them,81 and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. Unfortunately, the king did not heed the dreams warning, and his kingdom was taken away for a time. While most prophecies in the Bible reveal events which will take place after the death of the recipient of the prophecy, the prophecy is revealed for impact upon those to whom it was revealed. We need to be waiting and prepared for His return. We must approach prophecy with fear and reverence. 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 ). These both represent Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire. And they did! He will keep continual pressure on the saints of the Highest One to try to break and destroy and annihilate them. (3) What principles should guide and govern our attempt to interpret the prophecy of this chapter? (6) None of the kings or the kingdoms are identified. (2) While the timing of the fulfillment of divine prophecy may seem remote to the recipient, it still has relevance for him. (9) What is the relationship between Daniels vision in chapter 7 and the events described in Daniel 5? 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. The coming of the Son of Man is represented as one coming, and not two. Daniel explains that each of these metals represents a kingdom that would rule the world, and the stone is God . We do not walk by sight, but by faith. After this chapter, the book returns to the Hebrew language. In his vision, the statue collapsed and disappeared, because a mysterious stone struck it at its feet. These kings will rise to power and dominate the earth. The latter prophecy of Daniel 7 adds many more details than were revealed in chapter 2. 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). Daniel approached one of theses angels and began to ask him to explain to him the meaning or the truth concerning all that he had seen in his visions. I have heard a number of attempts to explain the gaps in Old Testament prophecy. (3) These prophecies must be understood in light of their historical background as provided in Daniel, in the inspired revelation provided by other portions of Scripture, and the cautious use of supplementary information by reliable historical documents or study. Never in the history of the Roman empire has this happened so it is yet future. Prophecy reveals that which we would not and could not expect apart from divine revelation. (10) Daniels preoccupation is with the last beast, rather than the first three. 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. At least the final portion of chapter 7 has not been fulfilled. Centuries must therefore pass before the prophecies of Daniel are fulfilled. It seems safe to assume the interpreter was an angelic being; at least this is the case in chapter 8 (8:15-26). (2) Why do you think Daniel summarized his dream when he wrote it rather than tell it in full (see verse 1)? Daniel 5 is an illustration and a prototype of what will happen in the end times, as described in the prophecy of Daniel 7. Our deliverance from the power of sin and the penalty of death has been accomplished by our Lord, who suffered in our place. Rather than publish what he had learned he kept it to himself, until that time that the Holy Spirit guided him to write down and reveal what he had learned to the saints. Their perception is wrong, for suddenly and without warning their day of destruction will come upon them. a. 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. 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