Daniel 17: Daniel's First Vision, Pt. 2
Notes
Transcript
Bookmarks & Needs:
Bookmarks & Needs:
B: Daniel 7:9-14
N:
Welcome
Welcome
Again, welcome to Family Worship with the church family of Eastern Hills. I’m senior pastor Bill Connors, and I’m blessed to get to be a part of such a wonderful church family. I’d like to give a special shout out of thanks to our Bible Study leaders who teach the Scriptures every week. If you’re not involved in a weekly Bible study group, you can get more information about classes from the Welcome station in the foyer.
If you’re a guest or visiting with us this morning, we would really like to be able to thank you for being here today, and to be able to do that, we have to get a little information from you. Could you please just fill out one of the Welcome cards that you’ll find in the back of the pew in front of you? When you’ve done that, you can return it to us in one of two ways: you can drop it in the offering boxes by the doors as you leave when service is over, or I’d appreciate the opportunity to introduce myself, so after service, I’ll stay down here, and I invite you to come and say hello and give me your card personally. I have a small gift to give you to say thanks for being here today.
Announcements
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None today
Opening
Opening
We started off last week with an explanation of apocalyptic literature in Scripture, followed by beginning our adventure through Daniel's visions contained in the last six chapters of the book of Daniel. What we saw in the first 10 verses of chapter 7 was that humanity is stirred up against God, but that human kingdoms will come and go, and God, whom Daniel calls the "Ancient of Days," will ultimately judge the world. We made connections between the four beasts in Daniel's vision and the four earthly kingdoms of Babylon, the Medo Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, and the Roman Empire. We also saw the Old Testament appearance of the one we refer to as the antichrist. Everything we looked at last week is going to be pretty important going forward, so if you missed last week's sermon, I recommend you go to the website or YouTube or Facebook and spend some time watching or listening to it this week.
This morning, we're going to rewind just a bit in order to include verses 9 and 10 in our focal passage, because it is necessary for us to look at those two verses in more detail than we were able to last week in order to understand the verses that follow it. So let's open our Bibles or Bible apps to our focal passage for this morning, Daniel 7:9-14, and in honor of the word of God, please stand as you are able as we read from the Scriptures:
9 “As I kept watching, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white like snow, and the hair of his head like whitest wool. His throne was flaming fire; its wheels were blazing fire. 10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from his presence. Thousands upon thousands served him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was convened, and the books were opened. 11 “I watched, then, because of the sound of the arrogant words the horn was speaking. As I continued watching, the beast was killed and its body destroyed and given over to the burning fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was removed, but an extension of life was granted to them for a certain period of time. 13 I continued watching in the night visions, and suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. 14 He was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.
PRAYER (Sandia Baptist Church, who just called a new pastor: Eric Christiansen; and Del Norte Baptist Church, whose pastor just took a position at another church, as they search)
Do any of you like older movies? Melanie and I like Alfred Hitchcock films. Rear Window, Vertigo, Dial M for Murder, and The Birds are a few of the Alfred Hitchcock's that we own. One of my personal favorites for its cinematography is the movie Rope, starring Jimmy Stewart. It tells the story of two college-age men who decide to try to carry out the perfect murder. What's so impressive about it, however is that the film only has like four cuts in it: there are long periods of time in the movie where the camera simply follows people back-and-forth, never cutting to a different angle or point of view. I once heard a rule of thumb for modern film that suggested that a cut was required at least every 45 seconds in order to maintain audience focus. Rope definitely did not follow that rule.
If we were to make a movie of this section of the book of Daniel, it would certainly have a more modern feel because of the number of cuts that would be required to follow the text. We've seen the sea stirred up by the four winds, each beast with its own moment of focus from the camera, the little horn supplanting three others and growing eyes and a mouth like a human, and finally the throne room and courtroom of Almighty God. I suppose you could say that I relied upon one of these cuts last week at the end of verse 10. Today's focal passage includes a couple more cuts before we get to the explanation of the vision from Daniel next week.
But regardless of how many cuts there are in today's passage (there are two), these six verses are the theological peak of Daniel's narrative. The three scenes created by the two cuts tell us that God is on His throne, every blasphemy will someday cease, and Messiah will reign forever.
1) God is on His throne.
1) God is on His throne.
Last week, our consideration of verses 9 and 10 was the shortest of my three points, and really only focused on the fact that God will judge the world. Today, however, we are going to spend a little bit more time on these verses, to consider some things that I didn’t have time to consider in last week’s sermon.
9 “As I kept watching, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white like snow, and the hair of his head like whitest wool. His throne was flaming fire; its wheels were blazing fire. 10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from his presence. Thousands upon thousands served him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
Remember the last week, when discussing the genre of biblical apocalyptic literature, I warned that we should not be too quick to be dogmatic about our interpretations of the symbolism that genre contains. Of course, I then went on to be fairly dogmatic about the identities of the four beasts and of the little horn. However, there are symbols that consistently appear, and it is not particularly risky to make common interpretive assumptions about those things, especially when we have other Scripture passages that relate closely to what we are studying. This throne room vision is one of those times, and we must remember that not everything in each scene is purely symbolic—there very well may be actual counterparts that exist or will exist. The throne room of God may ultimately have actual thrones.
Verse 9 simply says that "thrones were set in place." It does not specify how many thrones. It could be two or it could be 100, just looking at the language. Now I suppose that these could be symbolic for ruling or authority. But in the New Testament, we get to see into God's throne room in Revelation 4, at the very beginning of the truly apocalyptic vision that John saw, and in the throne room we find multiple thrones. The throne of God is magnificent in its appearance, but around that throne are 24 other thrones, upon which 24 elders sit:
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, and there was a throne in heaven and someone was seated on it. 3 The one seated there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian stone. A rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald surrounded the throne. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders dressed in white clothes, with golden crowns on their heads.
Again, we get to step into the throne room as we near the end of the Apocalypse, and again we see thrones occupied by people:
4 Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
However, the only throne that is occupied in Daniel's vision is the one occupied by the Ancient of Days. It would seem that the remaining thrones are empty for now. But we know that they will be filled with those that God decides to task with responsibility of judging the nations.
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Back in Daniel, the Ancient of Days—God the Father, as we will see—takes His seat on His throne, and Daniel gives us a brief description of both the Father and that throne. I mentioned last week that the whiteness of his clothing and hair reflect his holiness, his purity, his righteousness, and his wisdom. However, I was generalizing for the sake of time. The whiteness of the clothing would definitely relate to His holiness and purity. He is entirely untouched by sin. He is incorruptible, completely perfect in every quality and characteristic.
The whiteness of his hair would also relate to his righteousness and his wisdom, however, it also relates to his eternality—the Lord God is not old in the way we consider oldness. No, He is outside of time, so he never ages; he has no beginning, and he will have no end, so age is absolutely irrelevant. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever—he never changes. God the Father is not some tottering old man in the sky, lacking strength or mental acuity. He is the all-powerful creator and judge of the entire cosmos.
In Scripture, Jesus—God the Son—shares these characteristics with the Father. Notice what was written about Jesus at His transfiguration—when He showed His closest disciples His glory:
2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain by themselves to be alone. He was transfigured in front of them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling—extremely white as no launderer on earth could whiten them.
And in the first chapter of Revelation, John is given a vision of the glorious Christ, and his description of His hair matches the description of the Father in Daniel:
14 The hair of his head was white as wool—white as snow—and his eyes like a fiery flame.
Now, in the vision of Daniel God is literally on His throne. And that throne could very well be physical. But when we say that God is on His throne, we mean that He has all power and authority. And what a throne it is! It is flaming fire, and its wheels were blazing fire: This could mean that His throne was on fire, or it could mean that His throne was fire. Fire is commonly connected to judgment and wrath, and not only is His throne fire, but a river of fire flowed from His presence, imaging the pouring out of His wrath against the wicked, as the psalmist Asaph wrote in Psalm 50:
3 Our God is coming; he will not be silent! Devouring fire precedes him, and a storm rages around him.
We might think it strange that a throne has wheels, but it was common in the ancient Near East for the thrones of kings to have wheels. The throne of God imagery in Ezekiel 1 and 10 has wheels as well. For God’s throne to have wheels, however—this could also mean that His righteous judgment is not limited spatially—His throne is a chariot-throne, and He can go wherever He chooses.
We looked last week at the vision of God being served by thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand standing before Him, the connection of that to the book of Revelation. There is one other text that speaks to this that I wanted to point you to this morning. Those who belong to God through faith in Jesus are those who will stand before that magnificent throne. In Hebrews 12, the author writes to believers when He says:
22 Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels, a festive gathering, 23 to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to a Judge, who is God of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel.
Last week, I spoke more extensively about the convening of the court and the books being opened. Due to its importance, it bears repeating quickly today. At the final judgment, God will open the books that record all the works of all of our lives, and He will judge all of humanity by what is written in those books. However, if we belong to Jesus through surrendering our lives to Him in faith, then we will be in that new covenant, sprinkled with the blood of Jesus, and our names will be written in the Lamb’s book of life:
27 Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.
But it is on those whose names are not written in the book of life that God’s wrath will be poured out. And the first that receives God’s wrath in the vision in Daniel 7 is the fourth beast and its arrogant horn, which pours out blasphemies against the Lord. This brings us to our first “cut” in this passage, and thus to our second scene and point:
2) The antichrist will be destroyed.
2) The antichrist will be destroyed.
The horn that had started little and then had grown to supplant three of the other horns on the fourth beast developed eyes like the eyes of a human and a mouth which spoke arrogantly. Even though Daniel’s vision had been shifted over to see the throne room of the Ancient of Days, it doesn’t seem as if this blasphemous horn ever stops its yammering. Daniel’s vision returns to the horn, because the horn is about to become the receiver of God’s wrath:
11 “I watched, then, because of the sound of the arrogant words the horn was speaking. As I continued watching, the beast was killed and its body destroyed and given over to the burning fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was removed, but an extension of life was granted to them for a certain period of time.
Simply, quickly, decisively the fourth beast with its arrogant horn is killed, destroyed, and consumed by the fire of God’s righteous judgment. In the book of Revelation the antichrist himself is represented by a beast, and he himself will face the same judgment as we see in Daniel 7:
20 But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with it the false prophet, who had performed the signs in its presence. He deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image with these signs. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
The word “antichrist” literally means “against Christ.” In John’s first epistle, he wrote about the antichrist—and last March, during our series through 1 John, Trevor preached about the antichrist from that book.
18 Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son.
There is always the spirit of the antichrist in the world, those who (as Trevor put it) deny the Son, deny the community of faith, and deceive the believers. And I believe that the devil—who gives the antichrist his power and authority as the “ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient” (Eph 2:2)—I believe that the devil always an antichrist figure ready for when the time is right. Therefore, we are to be wise, and not to believe everything that someone says is of God.
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world.
The wonderful thing about this scene is that the antichrist is destroyed. The world will not always be like it is now. There will come a time when those who deny the coming of Jesus will face judgment. What about you? What do you confess about Jesus? It’s simple: we either are those who are born again, who confess Jesus as the Messiah, or we are those who do not. The coming judgment will show the truth of which we are. There is no such thing and “kind of saved.” We will not be rewarded with heaven because of our good work, our kind dispositions, or our family’s faith. Only Jesus deserves heaven. And on the cross, He took our sins on Himself so that He could give us His righteousness. But if we do not believe, that is us saying, “Thanks, but no thanks, Jesus. I’m going to try to get there on my own.” The testimony of holy Scripture is that you cannot make it. The only means of salvation is faith in Jesus Christ. What will you do with Jesus? More on that in a moment.
Now, what about the first three beasts? Interestingly enough, Daniel wrote that:
12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was removed, but an extension of life was granted to them for a certain period of time.
I believe that this is really kind of a footnote to tell us what happened to them, since they are brought up and then forgotten. I think that this just means that Babylon didn’t disappear entirely when it was conquered by the Medo-Persians. It was absorbed and became a part of that empire. The same with the Medo-Persians into the Greeks, and the Greek culture was still very much en vogue at the time of the writing of the New Testament, including its language, which is what the New Testament was written in. The Roman empire still exists in many ways, but will ultimately be completely eradicated and replaced by the kingdom of God.
Remember the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter 2? Each of the sections of the statue representing these empires remained as part of the statue until the coming of the stone, which smashed the statue at its feet of iron and clay.
34 As you were watching, a stone broke off without a hand touching it, struck the statue on its feet of iron and fired clay, and crushed them. 35 Then the iron, the fired clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were shattered and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
That stone represents the Messiah—the One who will inaugurate the kingdom of God on earth. And between verses 12 and 13 we find our second “cut,” and so we enter our third scene:
3) The Son of Man will reign forever.
3) The Son of Man will reign forever.
Daniel’s view now turns from the judgment of the beasts, and he takes in the final scene of his vision—the coming of the “one like a son of man:”
13 I continued watching in the night visions, and suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. 14 He was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.
The first thing we have to address here is “who is this one like a son of man?” Obviously, this is a human being, but at the same time something more than a mere human being. This One is at home in the throne room of the Almighty, approaching the throne of the Ancient of Days, and He is at home being identified with humanity. He is “like” a son of man: He is all that mankind was meant to be.
There is only one answer that makes any sense. This is Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. How do we know this?
We know it for several reasons. Verse 13 is the most often quoted and referenced verse from the book of Daniel in the New Testament, and when it is quoted in the New Testament, it’s always speaking about Jesus. In fact, “the Son of Man” was Jesus’s most used designation for Himself. He used it for Himself 30 times just in the book of Matthew, including in chapter 26, verse 64, after He was asked point blank if He is the Messiah, and He answered with a clear reference to Daniel 7:13:
64 “You have said it,” Jesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
In this answer, Jesus also connected Himself to the Old Testament messianic priest/king imagery of Psalm 110:
1 This is the declaration of the Lord to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion. Rule over your surrounding enemies.
In Mark 10:45, Jesus uses the Son of Man designation to connect Himself to the Suffering Servant picture of Messiah in Isaiah 53:
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
5 But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. 6 We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 He was taken away because of oppression and judgment, and who considered his fate? For he was cut off from the land of the living; he was struck because of my people’s rebellion.
There are also other places in the New Testament that use the “Son of Man” designation for Jesus. In Revelation, there are several points of connection to Daniel 7:13 regarding Him:
12 Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest.
14 Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and one like the Son of Man was seated on the cloud, with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
Not only these, but there are other echoes of Daniel 7:13 in reference to Jesus, such as Revelation 1:7:
7 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. So it is to be. Amen.
We also know that Jesus is the Son of Man from Daniel’s vision because of what is given to this Son of Man in verse 14. He is given God’s dominion, God’s glory, God’s kingdom, and authority over all people, just as Jesus said that the Father has given everything into His hands:
35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands.
His dominion and power will last forever, His kingdom will never be destroyed, and He will always reign as such:
20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
And look again at the throne room of Revelation chapter 5, and its similarity to the vision in Daniel 7:
1 Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides, sealed with seven seals. 2 I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even to look in it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or even to look in it. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll out of the right hand of the one seated on the throne.
The Lamb, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, the One with perfect authority (seven horns), perfect knowledge and understanding (seven eyes), and filled with the fullness of the Spirit of God (seven spirits), is Jesus.
However, there is a timing question here in Daniel 7. The Son of Man comes before the Ancient of Days and is granted these things. But can we agree that when we look at the world, it doesn’t feel like He is reigning as such right now? Righteousness is often ridiculed, not rewarded. That which is evil in God’s sight is celebrated. It would seem that everything is moving in the direction of getting worse, not better. How is that possible if He has been given all dominion and glory and a kingdom? Shouldn’t everything be set right?
This is a question of the “now and not yet” of Scripture. Jesus is reigning as king now, because upon His death, resurrection, and ascension, He overcame the power of sin and death, inaugurating the Kingdom of God on Earth—the righteous rule and reign of Jesus, especially seen in His people, the Church. Notice how He left the Earth in the book of Acts:
9 After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”
And then, in Daniel 7:13, He comes to the Ancient of Days on the clouds. This has already happened. But it was promised by the angels in Acts 1 that He would return in the same way, which He will at His second coming (Revelation 14:14, which we read a moment ago). And when that happens, He will come and set everything right. Everyone will understand. Everyone will see. Every knee will bow in reverence.
9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So He has been given the dominion and power. But because of God’s mercy, He does not exercise the full scope of that power. He waits, calling the lost to faith by the work of His Spirit, that you might trust Him as Savior and surrender to Him as Lord, believing in His finished work on the cross, where He died to take our place in judgment. And through the power of God, He beat death for us, so we can have eternal life if we trust Him, turning from our sins and our pride of going our own way.
9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. 11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness 12 as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming. Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire and the elements will melt with heat. 13 But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
Will you listen to the calling of the Spirit this morning, and respond to the message of the Gospel in faith? There will come a day when it will be too late to respond willingly. Will you surrender to Jesus even right now?
Closing
Closing
God is still on His throne. He has not abdicated, and God the Son, Jesus Christ reigns with the Father in complete oneness with the Spirit. There will come a day when the spirit of the antichrist, along with the devil and all who have rejected God’s offer of salvation, will be judged by God’s righteous fire. Our Messiah—the Son of Man, Jesus—reigns and will reign forever, even though right now He is patient, desiring that all would believe and be saved.
Invitation to surrender to Christ.
Invitation to baptism.
Invitation to church membership.
Invitation for prayer.
Offering.
Giving; by Text: EHBCGIVE to 888-365-GIVE (4483)
PRAYER
Closing Remarks
Closing Remarks
Bible reading (Judges 19, Psalm 146… finishing both Judges and Psalms this week)
No Pastor’s Study tonight (no evening activities)
Prayer Meeting this week, continuing to look at David’s prayer of praise and thanks in 2 Samuel 7.
Instructions for guests
Benediction
Benediction
17 Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.
