A Future Kingdom - pt.2
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Intro:
Last week we opened up Chapter 7 of Daniel. As I stated then, Chapter 7 is a summary of the remaining chapters of the Book of Daniel and so what we briefly talk about in this chapter, will be further examined as we make our way through the rest of the book.
We started to look at the 4 beasts of Daniel’s vision… and pointed out that they represent the same nations from N’s dream back in Chapter 2.
The Winged Lion - Representing Babylon
The Winged Lion - Representing Babylon
The Bear with 3 Ribs in it’s mouth - Representing the Medo-Persian Empire and the 3 ribs are the powers of Babylon, Lydia and Egypt that the Medo-Persians conquered.
The Bear with 3 Ribs in it’s mouth - Representing the Medo-Persian Empire and the 3 ribs are the powers of Babylon, Lydia and Egypt that the Medo-Persians conquered.
and then we looked at…
The Winged, Four Headed Leopard - Representing the Grecian Empire.
The Winged, Four Headed Leopard - Representing the Grecian Empire.
The Four heads represent the 4 generals that co-ruled the empire after Alexander the Great (or as we saw last week, Alexander the “not so” great) died.
And that is where we ended last week… I wanted to get into the 4th beast but we ran out of time…
Meat:
So that is where we will pick up today…
Review of the Beasts:
1. The Lion - Babylon
2. The Bear - Medo-Persia
3. The Leopard - Greece
Details of the Vision Continued...
4. The Monster - Roman Empire
4. The Monster - Roman Empire
We read these verses last week and I will just read them quickly for you as a bit of review…
Daniel 7:7–8 “7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.”
First thing to take note of with this 4th beast is the fact that it is…
4.1 Not Like Any Animal
4.1 Not Like Any Animal
Remember, the first three, Daniel said were “Like” a Lion, “Like” a Bear, “Like” a Leopard… but not this one… This one is not associated with any known animal. Daniel is seeing a furious beast that isn’t like anything he has ever seen before.
Using the description given here, we do have an artist rendition, but again, it is unknown exactly what this monster would look like.
The Monster
The Monster
Daniel says this monster was “Dreadful, terrible (or terrifying) and exceedingly strong”.
It is the next part of the description that ties it to the Roman Empire…
“It had Huge Iron Teeth” - the iron is a dead giveaway that we’re talking about the Roman Empire. Just like in Chapter 2, In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, this empire had been symbolized by legs of iron that took up half the total height of the image…
This speaks to the longevity of the Roman Empire and that it would far outlast the other empires before it…
The Babylonian Empire lasted 70 years, the Persian Empire about 200, and the Greek Empire about 180 years… Whereas the Roman Empire lasted for almost 1500 years.
In addition to the image of longevity, Iron is much stronger than gold, silver or brass, therefore the iron showed the great strength of the Roman Empire…
As Daniel states “… it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet… ”
If there was one thing that truly represented Rome, it was the powerful legions that marched across the globe, crushing and conquering everything in it’s path.
There was something else that stuck out to Daniel about this Monster…
4.2 It Has Ten Horns
4.2 It Has Ten Horns
The last part of v. 7 says “… It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.”
Just like the ten toes of the statue in chapter 2…
We will get more about this later on in the chapter, but I will quickly point out according to vv. 23-24 of Daniel 7… that these 10 horns represent 10 kings or kingdoms that make up one big empire that crushes all the other kingdoms of the world… An event, by the way, that still has yet to happen.
All of the other empires, the lion, the bear and the leopard, were conquered and replaced by one that was bigger and stronger… Rome… …
However, Rome was never replaced by anyone…
The Roman Empire appeared to fade due to internal corruption, and its people seemed to integrate into other nations. However, according to Daniel’s vision, there is a foreseen revival of this empire, leading to a restructuring of Europe into 10 nations.
We do not have information given to us here in Daniel regarding what 10 nations that will be comprised of, but comparing this with the similar Revelation given to John… it would seem that these 10 nations are ruling simultaneously and in cooperation with each other in some sort of federation or union.
12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.
However, eventually, a particularly powerful and evil leader will emerge…
Daniel describes this as…
4.3 One Little Horn
4.3 One Little Horn
Daniel 7:8 “8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.”
We will get into more specifics about who this little horn is, Lord Willing, Next week… But lets look at the details Daniel gives us here in v.8…
Little Horn Pic.
Little Horn Pic.
This little horn took part in the uprooting of 3 of the 10 horns… This suggests a forceful and violent overthrow of these nations.
When we get to v.20, we will see that he gets even stronger, becoming greater than the other 10 horns.
This little horn had the piercing eyes of a man, eyes that could scan the horizon, observe, gain knowledge, and become more and more intelligent… It is speculated that this describes someone who will be one of the most brilliant men ever to live.
He had a mouth also… and this refers to his dynamic ability to speak and persuade others… and along with that, this little horn will mostly speak against the most-high God, which suggests that he is arrogant and self-exalting.
He will fill the world with his boasting, cursing, and blasphemy, exalting himself above every god on earth and speaking unheard of things against the Lord himself.
And so Daniel sees all of this unfolding before his very eyes. At the time of this vision, he had only witnessed the Lion and the Bear… Shortly after this vision he witnessed the beginning of the reign of the Leopard, but he passed away before the Roman Empire originally took over.
However, it wasn’t just these ugly, nasty, worldly Kingdoms that he saw… God also revealed to Daniel another Future Kingdom… and that one will be
5. A Heavenly Empire
5. A Heavenly Empire
Look at vv. 9-14… (Read)…
Daniel has seen all of the worldly empires that God will allow to rule until the end of days… and now his focus is shifted from earth, to heaven.
Within this Heavenly Empire, we see, who Daniel refers to as…
5.1 The Ancient of Days
5.1 The Ancient of Days
Daniel 7:9 “9 “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire;”
The word Ancient is not referring to some old, crippled guy that needs to use a walking stick to get from the living room to the kitchen…
I am certain that when people hear this term for God, they picture this…
(Charlton Heston at the end of the Ten Commandments.)
(Charlton Heston at the end of the Ten Commandments.)
Now I know this is not God… … It’s Moses… at least Charlton Heston, playing Moses…
But this is what people picture… He’s old, He’s frail… maybe a little cranky…
But that is not what “The Ancient of Days” is referring to… It means “eternal, ageless.”…
Moses does describe God in Psalm 90:2
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
Jesus says it like this…
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Daniel says “… His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool… ”
His white clothing speaks of His purity. His white hair has nothing to do with age; it pictures His holy, sinless nature.
John, when he saw the Ancient of Days, describes Him in a very similar way…
14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.
Daniel and John were given an opportunity to see All Mighty God, The Ancient of Days, seated on His Heavenly Throne…
Secondly, this Heavenly empire…
5.2 Brings Forth Judgement
5.2 Brings Forth Judgement
Daniel 7:10 “10 A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.”
The Ancient of Days is being praised by a multitude of saints and Angels… Again, very similar to what we see in…
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
Daniel says…
The New King James Version Chapter 7
The court was seated,
And the books were opened.
God is getting ready to judge the evil on the Earth… and all the record books are open. It needs to be said that, He does not keep these records because He might forget something… He keeps them as proof for the ones that are being judged.
Not a single thing, no matter how tiny, in all of world history has gone unnoticed by God. Everything is documented; the book contains it all—every thought, word, and action of every person, big or small,… it is ALL written down.
This points us back to God’s Sovereignty… He may allow these others world leaders to think that they are in control, He may allow, in their minds, to succeed… but when it is all said and done… God is still on the throne and there is coming a day when He sits down and executes judgement.
It is this judgement from the Heavenly empire, executed by the Ancient of Days, that…
5.3 Ends ALL Other Empires
5.3 Ends ALL Other Empires
Lets look at v. 11 first…
Daniel 7:11 “11 “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.”
The beast that is mentioned here is none other than the Antichrist… and Daniel is seeing the fate of this evil, Satan filled being…
Again, John has a similar revelation…
20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
This will be the end of Antichrist’s Empire… never to be raised again.
And eventually the rest of the worldly empires would suffer the same fate…
12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
and… John basically says the same thing…
21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
This Future Kingdom, this Heavenly Empire, is one that brings and end to all other worldly kingdoms and empires… and… this Heavenly Empire…
5.4 Lasts Forever!
5.4 Lasts Forever!
Look at Daniel’s words in vv. 13-14…
Daniel 7:13–14 “13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.”
The phrase or Title “Son of Man”, is a familiar title for our Lord Jesus Christ; it is used 82 times in the Gospels, frequently by Jesus Himself.
Matthew 26:63 (NKJV)
63 … And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
I believe Jesus was referring back to Daniel 7:13-14 when He answered the High Priest in this way…
64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Daniel tells us…
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.
The Son of Man stands before the Father's throne, receiving authority over all nations—a lasting dominion that will endure forever.
And unlike the previous four kingdoms, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ will never be removed or destroyed…
Closing:
At the end of N’s dream, back in chapter 2, he saw a stone that crushed the statue and filled the whole earth. Jesus is that Rock… And when He returns to set up God's Kingdom on earth, He will set the whole universe free from the bondage of sin and corruption.
At last, peace and righteousness will fill the whole universe. And all beings in both heaven and Earth will love, worship, and serve the Son of Man forever.
Philippians 2:9–11 “9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The Greek word for confess means “to acknowledge,” “affirm,” or “agree” which is what everyone will eventually do in response to Christ’s lordship… and that response will be made in one of two ways… willingly and thankfully or unwillingly and painfully.
The choice is yours...
Prayer: