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Book of Daniel |
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Daniel Chapter 7 Commentary by Ron Beckham
The "historical" section of this Book is now essentially complete and we are into a series of visions and dreams, seen by Daniel over a considerable time. Belshazzar the king (and his father) put Daniel "on the shelf" - they didn’t use him in government. But notice that, while people may forget us, God never forgets His people. God was using Daniel continually as the receiver and transmitter of visions that would describe nations that did not yet exist, and affect millions of people not yet even born. Notice this is a SUMMARY. We are shown in this chapter the important highlights of visions that may have been given over many nights; possibly over many years, during his isolation from public office. Remember, if you feel cast aside by people, "Bloom where you are planted" as they used to say and God will use you, just where you are. People forget you but God will not. Verse 2. "Daniel said, ‘I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.’" The chief "sea" of the region is, of course, the Mediterranean, and many are convinced it is the reference in this verse. Another "sea" in Scripture describes PEOPLE and nations. References include Matthew 13:47, Revelations 13:1, Isaiah 57:20. Another is Revelation 17:1, 15, where the angel is commenting on the "great harlot which sits on many waters." He goes on to say, "The waters which you (John) saw, where the harlot sits are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues." Years ago we saw a movie, in which the hero discovers the great secret and utters the line, "Soylent Green is --- people!" Here it’s the "sea" that is --- people! In Revelation 7, four angels are seen, holding back 4-winds until God’s servants are sealed in their foreheads. "Four" winds would be like a tornado, with winds coming from all directions at once. It’s nice to know that when trouble comes, God is with us. Verse 3. "And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another." Just like there were four different kinds of metals in the image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (not 5 - there were 4), Daniel’s vision consists of FOUR "beasts." Daniel’s visions (plural) give us a new look at the dream of Nebbie and help us to understand more. The nations that would come will be like 4-beasts, including a lion, bear, leopard, and a wild thing like nothing on earth - These are violent nations that would show no mercy. Edward Gibbon, not a Christian but a historian, said of this section, "the 4-empires are clear; the invincible armies are as clearly seen in the prophesies of Daniel as in the histories of Justin and Diodorus." Verse 4. "The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it." The "Head of Gold" in chapter two, is the "lion" of this verse, and it represents Babylon. Verse 17 is clear that the beasts are kings (kingdoms). Lions normally don’t have wings and the fact that this one does, is an indicator that it (Babylon) was very FAST in battle. Most great generals, such as Napoleon, had this attribute of surprising speed. The "plucked" wings may refer both to the humbling of Nebuchadnezzar and the sudden demise of Babylon. The phrase "a human mind" suggests the return to sanity of Nebuchadnezzar himself, along with the fact that he came to know the living and true God. These (the "beasts") are nations but they are also people. From God’s point of view, Nebuchadnezzar largely WAS Babylon - it was an extension of him, the man. The two are intertwined beautifully in this verse. Verse 5. "And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’" This "bear" represents the "silver arms" (the Mede-Persian Empire) of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The bear raised first on one side, striking and conquering Babylon with the strong left hand of the Medes, followed (as J. Vernon McGee put it) with a "strong right uppercut" of the Persians, who took Egypt and the rest of what was to be this empire. The three ribs are three kingdoms, 3-sections of that world: Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt, which together made up this "bear," this Mede-Persian Empire. Verse 6. "After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it." What conquered the world and is round & purple? The answer, of course, is Alexander the Grape. The four wings. As a general, Alexander the Great was so extremely quick that he reminds historians of Douglas Mac Arthur, in this century. He could somehow take all the men and logistics required, and get them where they needed to be - quickly! Alexander found ways to move his armies twice as fast as King Nebuchadnezzar’s had been able to do (the imagery of four wings, as opposed to two). He struck at the rear, the sides, and defeated much larger armies on a regular basis. But just like Belshazzar, he was a drunk and died early. After his inglorious, early death, four of his generals took over and divided his empire. Cassander took Macedonia; Lysimachus got Asia Minor; Seleucus inherited Syria (out of which the "little horn" Antiochus, of Daniel 8 was to come); and Ptolemy acquired Egypt - it was his line that produced Cleopatra. The one (Alexander) died and became the four. Verse 7. "After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns." Rome. Not the city, but the Roman Empire. The Chamber of Commerce of the City of Rome would have a difficult time with the phrase "dreadful and terrifying" but it did describe them. This is a powerful vision of this empire, which really was "dreadful and terrifying" to anyone not a Roman citizen – the perspective of someone outside. (One of the men at this study, thought the beast with the iron teeth reminded him a great deal of his ex-wife). The ten horns correspond to the "ten toes" of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and is not a reference to the time of the formation of this empire, but to the end times, when the Roman "iron teeth" will live again. The Roman Empire never came to a true end. It just fell apart. It’s pieces are all over the northern Mediterranean, just waiting for a tyrant like the Antichrist to put it back together again. Verse 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." Notice again that the ten horns are not a new kingdom - they grow out of the head of the fourth kingdom, & are the equivalent of the iron and clay toes in Chapter 2. If this is world history at a glance, then God views only four major socio-cultural impacts in history, from the beginning, to our immediate future: the Babylonian, Mede-Persian, Greek, and the Roman Empires. Two of them Oriental, and two "Western." They are shown as "beasts" that is, utterly self-serving and without mercy. Now, there are other historical influences, but these are what have shaped our modern world and its thinking, right to the present. From God’s perspective, the Roman Empire, though in pieces temporarily, still exists. About the "little horn." It has the eyes of a man and a mouth which speaks great things. The eyes are human eyes reflecting human intelligence, and the mouth, we shall see, speaks great things APART from God’s prompting (and speaking for God when God has not spoken can be termed blasphemy). The "Antichrist" was pictured and foretold centuries ago, in the person of Antiochus Epiphanes of Syria, but he was just a "type" or forerunner of the evil one who is to come. Just as there have been lots of those who have pretended to be the Messiah, there have amazingly been many in history who have aspired to the office of "Antichrist." Verse 9. "I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire." There will come a time when all earthly "Thrones" are no more. Presidents, kings, and political systems, all will be gone. Some of the latter we have liked better than others. Many prefer capitalism or democracy to socialism or despotic rule, but all will be destroyed. On what ground? On the ground that God is holy. ALL human political systems will be "cast down," and we are here given a glimpse of the holiness of God. They (people as well as political-economic systems) are not rated by comparing them with each other - we are compared with God, who is an all consuming fire of holiness. One of the dictionary definitions of "compare" is to "be worthy of" and nothing of earth or its people is worthy of the glory of God. The Lord is revealed as the Judge of all the earth, but instead of a black robe, He wears a consuming fire. Quick justice, but appropriate, for He is holy, and unless He is literally in us, we are not holy at all - but outside of His protection and in grave danger. Verse 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." Every once in awhile, we meet someone who wants to "be in hell, because all my friends will be there." For one thing, the correct word is "acquaintances" not "friends." Without the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, the "acquaintance" is merely an enemy in disguise. Without Christ, there is no selfless love, and the opposite of love (caring for others) is hatred (serving ones self). If you want friends, honestly abandon yourself to Jesus Christ, and let the old song, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" become real for you. You might ask this question - If no one is worthy of Him (as we touched on in the last verse), where did these "thousands" (myriads) come from? The answer is GRACE. If merit does not save, and there are many (millions, actually) who are saved, then only the Grace of God can get us through. This is reflected in Titus 3:5-7, "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, Whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ, our Savior." Questions: Does the Lord judge us? Yes, He does. Are we "good" enough to enter His kingdom? No, we are not. Who are these people? The Lord’s people. How did they get to be His people? By the Grace of God. Verse 11. "Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire." We can read this verse in a couple of seconds, and it's a summation that the beast was speaking, it was eventually slain, and finally, it was delegated to hell. This was a series of many nights of visions, over a period of time. Like we might watch a lengthy TV mini-series or documentary, Daniel VIEWED the future, some of which is still future to us. He SAW the antichrist, HEARD his words, SAW the death of this utterly godless man, and then WATCHED as his body was destroyed in the holy flames of Almighty God. It’s so easy for us to trust the wrong people and this man, who might be alive on earth right now, will fool millions, probably billions of people. We need to be protected from him, so we will not be fooled as well - he will offer "peace" (and we are tired of war). But it will not really be "peace" he gives, but simply surrender to sin. Matthew 24:24 teaches us, "False Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect." It is important to see verse 11 in the "slow motion" (real time vision) seen by Daniel, and KNOW that even the best (and the worst) of mankind will not be able to stand in the day of God’s Judgment. We must fully turn to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and trust in Him now. Those who remain in sin will inevitably turn to the Antichrist – And then be destroyed along with him. Verse 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." Though the first three "beasts" (empires) are no longer in existence, yet their cultural and religious influences have permeated the world. The pantheon of false "gods" of Babylon, spread under different names, to India, China, Greece, and Rome (and to you and me). If you open the daily newspaper and read a "horoscope," you have just paid homage to a Babylonian "god" (filtered through various cultural references). The "beast" of Babylon lives on, though the empire has been dead for thousands of years. Media-Persia lives on in Iraq, Iran, and the culture of Islam. Greece flowered again in the European Renaissance and is seen in western democracy. America’s republican system is a direct descendant of the Grecian "beast." From God’s perspective, the Roman Empire lives on - a broken pot to be put back together for a brief time by the "horn" of verse 11. We are deeply influenced by the culture around us and need to look to our Lord at all times. When we don’t look to Him, we start to receive the cultural imperatives of these "beasts," who live but have no dominion - unless we LET them live in US! Solomon said, thousands of years ago, "there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Our response might be, "What about computers? Or TV? Modern medicine (including the wonders of HMOs)? and so on. God (through Solomon) is not talking about our toys, He is speaking of REALITY (the way men are), behind the veil of what we think we see. Verse 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." When the high priest asked Jesus, "Are you the Christ (Messiah), Son of the Blessed?", Jesus answered "I am, and you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven" (Mark 14:61-62 & context). Sound like this verse? It sure does. And how did the religious people who surrounded Jesus respond to this information? They spit at Him, blindfolded Him, beat Him with their fists, and slapped Him in the face. (Our sins have been like slaps in the face of a Holy God.) It is well to remember that the One who allowed Himself to be put to death for our sins, will soon come again, in power and in glory. A new act of redemption will not be necessary at that time, for humanity has already been redeemed. All we need to do is breathe "yes" to Him now, and we are His. Jesus Christ is the "stone cut out without hands" (Nebuchadnezzar’s dream - Daniel 2:35) that "became a mountain which filled the whole earth." These "beasts" which have no power unless we let them, will be destroyed by Jesus Christ. Verse 14. "And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed." Matthew Henry observes three encouraging promises in these verses: 1) There IS a Judgment to come, and God is the Judge. 2) The proud & the cruel WILL be reckoned with and brought down in due time. 3) The kingdom of the Messiah WILL be set up, and kept up, in the world Our Judge is fair, our Judge loves us, and the One who watches out for us, will soon RESCUE those who look to Him. The question often asked, "How can God allow this (or that)?", is better understood in this context, in which we see that He only allows "freedom" (to sinners) for a time. The end WILL come. Sin WILL be put away. Those who harm others SHALL be Judged. Jesus will return and every eye will see that He protects His own. If you don’t want Him, you don’t have to have Him. If you do want Him, He is yours & He will watch out for you. Revelation 21:4 - "And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Verse 15. "As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me." The trouble we see in this world (including our concern about the future) is distressing. In Scripture, there is often an immediate (or reasonably soon) fulfillment of a prophesy but also something else, much further down the road. For Daniel and his people in Babylon, who longed to return to the land of Israel, it was important to look again at the prophesies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Yes, they would return to the land; but instead of tranquillity, they would have centuries of tribulation. For us, we can see our immediate future (the time of the end), thousands of years after the visions were seen and these words were written. Daniel was troubled by these things and we can be troubled, as well. However, there is a great secret to life contained in John 16:33 - "In the world you SHALL have tribulation" (a PROMISE, lest we misunderstand the nature of life on this earth). This promise is followed by another great truth of life: "but take courage; I (Jesus) have overcome the world." Yes we will have trouble, but we also have Him. Verse 16. "I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:" From the beginning, I have placed Scripture into three categories: 1) I believe it; 2) I don’t believe a certain part; and 3) I haven’t decided on something or other. Down through the decades, He has patiently worked on my items 2) and 3), and He has gradually changed my unbelief to trust in Him; BELIEF in His Word. I recommend you, with the help of His Holy Spirit, acknowledge your areas of unbelief, and bring them to Him. (He already knows about them and is patiently waiting for you). Portions of His Word you initially scoffed at, can become your greatest blessings, as He interprets them for you. ASK Him. What troubles you (that you have seen in life, in His Word)? Bring every question you can think of to ask. Wait with excitement and watch with joy, as He responds to every need. Courageously be like the widow in Luke 18:1-8, who kept coming to the judge, and wore the man down by her entreaties. Jesus encourages us to keep on asking in our need, and He promises that God will respond. --- Ask God, and He will reveal Himself, His Word, to you. Verse 17. "These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth." As Lehman Strauss has points out, these verses describe "Kings" and "Kingdoms" and God’s choice of words leaves no doubt that we are dealing with earthly empires - that is, people. Rather than the obscure philosophical concepts some have applied to these verses, we are given nations and flesh & blood people that can be seen and defined in history. God tends to view empires or countries, as extensions, reflections, if you will, of the people who rule them. That which was Babylon is summed up in Nebuchadnezzar. The Grecian Empire WAS Alexander. Consider the actions of our presidents, such as Nixon and Clinton: In them, we are shown ourselves as a people. We get what we deserve. It is so interesting, by the way, that God views our nations, our works, as wild beasts of prey, that rip and tear - this is HIS view of history. We are not so pretty to Him. Verse 18. "But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come." The word "saints" is found in both the Old Testament and in the New. (There are actually only two kinds of people, the "saints" and the "ain’ts"). The word is applied to believers in Israel, in such places as Matthew 27:52-53, and Exodus 19:6. It is used for those who will be saved during the Tribulation (Revelation 13:7), and as to those saved in the Church (1 Corinthians 1:2, Ephesians 1:1, Philippians 1:1, etc.). Daniel used the word several times (7:18, 21, 22, 25, 27, 8:24). Many scholars have felt the references in Daniel apply to Jewish saints only. However, that’s not what is central in this verse. The startling and wonderful news is not which "saints" are which, but what HAPPENS to those who ARE termed by Him as His "saints." They "WILL receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come." That’s the glorious reality presented in this verse. We have His INHERITANCE promised to us. Have you ever wished you might inherit money from someone? Or suddenly be discovered as royalty? Look no further: You have been named in His will. If you GOT a human inheritance, it would be gone in a few years or when you die. God’s inheritance is permanent - EVERLASTING. No "strings," no limits on His love. Verse 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," When I started reading the Bible, I quickly realized I did not know what the Roman Empire was, and started taking courses in a local college to find out. This verse is certainly an apt description of Rome, and it was written hundreds of years BEFORE Rome even existed! "Teeth of iron and claws of bronze" - that’s Rome, and they crushed their neighbors for hundreds of years. Everything here in this description implies fierceness and power. Rome was not a peaceful nation, though people talked of the "Pax Romana" or "Roman peace." The people who were conquered by Rome, hated their captors and were terrified of them. Hannibal wanted vengeance against Rome and actually got it for awhile, but then he was put down, just like everybody else. Rome crucified Jesus Christ and persecuted the Church. If a revived Roman Empire is coming in the future of Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia (the extent of the old Rome), the people of earth are in for a very bad time. Verse 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." It’s important to consider there have been many theories about this "horn." Calvin said it was Julius Caesar and the succeeding emperors. Luther decided it was the Turkish (Ottoman) "empire." Matthew Henry leaned toward Rome. All of them recognized this "horn" as future to themselves --- it (his identity) will finally be clear (when he is in full power) to those who are being persecuted by him. Notice the development between the horn’s description in 7:8, and here in 7:20. The first reference is about a "little" horn, and at this point the horn is "larger" than the others. He will start small and gentle, but will quickly grow in power and might. So it is with sin; that which starts little, tends to grow large. The time to deal with sin is always now, preferably when it is small. The very same demonic spirit that prompted Antiochus Epiphanes of Syria into such outrageous conduct (he killed, cheated, lied, and ended up entering the holy of holies in Jerusalem to sacrifice a pig), may well occupy the person who is to come. The two men will be very much alike. Verse 21. "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them" This leader of a new Rome will represent a world power. In Revelation 13:7, we are told "it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him." He will use that power to harm the people of God. According to Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, "The Antichrist will come disguised as a great humanitarian. He will talk peace, prosperity, and plenty, not as a means to lead us to God, but as ends in themselves. He will explain guilt away psychologically and make men shrink in shame if their fellowmen say they are not broad minded and liberal. He will spread the lie that men will never be better until they make society better." He will be like the "boy next door" --- The one who turns out to be a mass murderer, and nobody understands how such a thing could happen. This man is a killer; only he will not, at first, seem to be. He will unify Europe as never before. He will pretend to be a man of peace. It will all be a fake, for all the time he will make war on those who really ARE men of peace, and he will kill them. All this could happen in our lifetime --- How should we then live, considering that these events are right around the corner? Verse 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." Life is very much like a Courtroom, for we are continually on trial - people around us are constantly volunteering to be the judges of one another. As a people, we NEEDED to be told by Jesus, "Judge not, or you will be judged" (Matthew 7:1), for we are always judging others. I think we should take a hard look at OURSELVES (instead of others), as Paul urges in 2 Corinthians 13:5. Then, when that’s settled (when we realize we are saved by grace, by the blood of Christ), we should give our lives to HELPING other people; judging no more. When you look carefully and focus on those words written at the top of Jesus’ cross, you see "King of the Jews." That was supposed to be His crime, but since He really IS King of the Jews, He is innocent and should not have been killed. What we SHOULD "see" on that cross (written in His Blood), is a statement of your sins and mine. We are guilty and our guilt is the real purpose in His death. He died for you and for me. When we are in Christ, Judgment has already been passed in our favor (placed upon Him instead of on us). We are with Him, in His kingdom, now and in the future. Rather than get lost in a discussion of who the "saints" in this verse are (as many theologians have done), let us instead understand that we are given a PLACE in Christ Jesus. All "Saints" have a sure POSSESSION in Him. Verse 23. "Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.’" When Alexander the Great (the 3rd beast) conquered the "world" he never even TOUCHED China, Siberia, Australia, the Americas, and a "ton" of other places. But this future man (the 4th beast), this restored Roman Empire to be ("beast" is defined as a kingdom in this verse and as a man in verse 17), will do the job. The work is the extension of the man. 100 years ago, it would have seemed impossible, but now the world is linked as never before - That someone might "devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it" is reaching the possible in our minds. This verse guarantees that it actually will happen. By the way, what if we could do whatever we wanted to do? What would the outcome be? And why would God allow us to go so far in such a direction? The answer is that God DOES allow us to run far, and when we do, it reveals we are a race of rebels to the core. In my own life, He allowed me for several years, to run with wild rebellion. Did it make me happy? - No. In rebellion, in our failed attempts to please ourselves, we learn our need of Him. Attempting to satisfy ourselves only makes us unhappy. If we took the whole world like this beast, it would simply be "vanity" (to quote Solomon, who DID own everything in sight - it did not work for him; it will not work for us). Verse 24. "As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings." I’ve read a lot about these "kingdoms" and I don’t think we precisely know who they are, because it has not fully happened yet. Just a few years ago, "prophetic" writers were confidently identifying, by name, the nations called the "ten," the one called "another" and the "three." The writers have evolved in their predictions, down through the years. It is becoming more difficult now, because more than ten are part of the European Confederacy, and it looks like still more are joining up. But there are lesser and greater powers, and from God’s perspective, ten of them will initially be the driving force of this renewed "Roman" empire of nations. The fact that it is difficult to understand WHICH nations shall be the key ones, does not change the fact that there WILL be such a confederacy in the area of Europe. And incredibly, such a joining of nations has been occurring right before our eyes. Europe, east and west, is about to become a powerful nation, led by a man who will be dictator of essentially the whole world. Just when Israel is back in the land, for the first time in 2,000 years, here comes the Roman Empire. What an exciting time in which to live. Are you bored? – If you are still around when all this occurs, you won’t be for long. Verse 25. "And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time." The "little" horn will become a great horn. The Antichrist will come, "speaking great things and blasphemies; the authority to act for 42 months is GIVEN to him; and he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God" (Revelation 13:5-6). Looking back and forth between the Book of Revelation and these verses, it is convincing that the two Books are describing the same events. In Revelation, the time used is "42 months." 42 months is 3 ½ years. It is therefore likely that a "time" here is 1 year. "Times" would be 2 years. "Half a time" is ½ year. 1 year + 2 years + ½ year = the same 42 months found in Revelation 13. This man has an agenda. He hates God. He will change the very laws of mankind in an attempt to legislate God right out of our midst. The dream of the atheist will seem, for a time, to come true. It will also be made illegal to worship God, and the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Those who attempt to worship Him will be persecuted mercilessly. He will not introduce himself to the world, as "Good day, people of the world, I am the Antichrist." He will be subtle in the beginning. There are, by the way, actually two meanings of "antichrist" - one is "against Christ" and the other is to "IMITATE Christ." He is not only against our Lord, but he also pretends initially to be a "good leader" - This is the real wolf in sheep’s clothing. Verse 26. "But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever." One of the problems with understanding the prophetic sections of Scripture, is that our perspective in not quite right. Shakespeare said "life is a stage". We can partly be viewed as actors on that stage, and also we are like people in an audience. There are many characters behind the scenes never seen by the audience. The orchestra is below eye level of the stage. There is a person in a sort of hole at the front of a classic stage who cues the players when lines are forgotten. People draw the curtains, change scenery, modify and direct lighting; directors, producers, admen, and so on. In most of Scripture, we see life straight on, through the eyes of the participants themselves. Here, we are taken behind the scenes of the stage of life and given a look at future events as God sees them. This "Court" (just like much of the Book of Revelation) is in the heavenlies, not within the space-time continuum of earth at all. The people of earth will be surprised when antichrist is in power, and even more shocked when he is suddenly overthrown. Behind the scenes of our life is the sovereign God, calmly in control of all. Does life seem out of control to you? God has His agents EVERYWHERE, seen and unseen, working to bring you from chaos to purpose, misery to joy, unbelief to faith, and He WILL bring victory to pass. In a moment, all evil will be gone, and those who love our Lord will be at His throne of glory. Verse 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." Our greatest problem in life is our selfishness. Like a cancer of the soul, we exclude others and do things even WE do not understand. Eternity will not be like this place at all, and WE SHALL BE CHANGED. The tendency is to focus on "physical" attributes of "heaven" (eternity) and to miss the greatest truth of all: Selfishness, confusion, mistrust, and doubt - all will be done away. God will be SOVEREIGN in the lives of men, and selfishness will be no more. Good news: We shall be LIKE Him. Just as we have been in the image of this earth and participated in the great deceptions that dominate this place, we shall be men of heaven who are heavenly men. (1st Corinthians 15). We shall serve Him and obey Him in joy, for we will be like HIM. Christ came in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:7) that we may become His people. Verse 28. "At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself." The revelation was complete. All that Daniel -and history- needed to know as to this particular vision (or series of visions) was now in our hands. Just so with God’s holy Scriptures. His Word is COMPLETE for us. Oh yes, there are wonderful FACTS of information (valuable facts) within other resources, but see 2 Timothy 3:16. You will never be fully taught, corrected, trained in what is right, or equipped for life, unless, subject to the Holy Spirit of God, you are immersed in His holy Word. Do you want to be an effective medical doctor? Go to medical school; take the latest and best classes, but also read His Word. You need to be EQUIPPED for life. Daniel, who was "greatly alarmed" at this point, knew all this, as this new awareness of God was unfolded before his eyes. He was shocked, surprised, and concerned for his people. Initially, as it says, he kept these matters to himself, but subsequently, as God directed, he included these visions within what was to become the Book of Daniel, a part of the holy Scriptures of God. Ron Beckham, Pastor |
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