This World Is Not My Home - Yet

Ice-Braker

We have trusted war to bring peace. In 1914, the world entered what was called “the war to end all wars.” But it brought trenches, gas, and over 20 million dead.

We have trusted wealth to bring security. In 1929, the stock market collapsed. Banks failed. Breadlines grew. The system people relied on... had no soul.

We have a trusted ideology to bring order. However, World War II showed us how visions of utopia can become nightmares. The Holocaust turned humans into numbers, cities into rubble.

We have trusted progress to bring meaning. In the 1960s, moral lines were redrawn. The sexual revolution promised freedom but often delivered brokenness. Truth became subjective. Self became the new god.

We have trusted institutions to protect us. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit. The levees broke. The government stumbled. Moreover, people experiencing poverty were left floating in despair.

We have trusted science to control nature. However, in 2020, a virus shut down the world's economies, schools, and churches. Everything stopped. Even hope paused.

We have trusted technology to make us more human. However, tech isolates us, rewires our minds, and sells us back our attention. Connection without communion. Speed without stillness.

We have a trusted culture that tells us who we are. However, the louder the noise, the more confused the identity becomes. And the truth? It is just another opinion in the algorithm.

Introduction

The world we live in feels unstable. Empires rise and fall, economies collapse, ideologies shift, and even truth itself feels negotiable.

Is there anything that holds? Any place that will not shake? Any kingdom that will not turn against us?

Thousands of years ago, a young Hebrew prophet was given wisdom— and later a dream — showing how history would unfold: not just politically, but spiritually.

Today, we are going to look at two of the most fascinating chapters in the Bible: Daniel 2 and Daniel 7.

These are apocalyptic prophecies — meaning they use symbols to describe real events, often far beyond the prophet’s own time. They are not just predictions; they are God's long view of history.

We interpret these visions using what is called the Historicist method — understanding that the prophecy begins in the prophet’s day and stretches through human history, piece by piece.

If this is your first time hearing this, do not worry. It may feel complex at first, but the message is powerful and precise:

This world is not my home — yet.

Three kingdoms

The world has never been a safe place for the people of the true God. This may sound somewhat tragic. Someone could say that it is just playing the victim; however, history does not lie from Egypt, which enslaved the Hebrews for centuries, to Assyria, which destroyed forever the entire northern part of the kingdom of Israel. God's people have suffered. The reason behind the political and military struggles is a greater spiritual war.

God wanted to reveal to Daniel what the evolution of history would be like from his time to the very second coming of Jesus with power. Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 take us on a journey from Babylon to the eternal kingdom of the creator.

In chapter two, Daniel reveals the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had and forgot. In chapter seven, Daniel receives a dream from God.

Daniel 2:31–32 NASB95

31 “You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. 32 “The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze,

Daniel 7:4–6 NASB95

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. 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!’ 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.

The various metals and the different beasts represent kingdoms. Daniel told the king (Daniel 2:36-39). You are the head of gold, and after you will come another kingdom, and then another. In chapter seven, the angel explains to Daniel what these beasts mean.

Daniel 7:17 NASB95

17 ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth.

These powers were for centuries oppressing, controlling, imposing, and mistreating people. Babylon enslaved the peoples. The same goes for the Medes and Persians. It was they who used the law to prevent God from being worshipped in the time of Queen Esther. Empires, sadly, have served as an instrument of Satan to propagate his destructive and oppressive character.

Since the entrance of sin, human beings have lived through the tragedy of broken and subjugating relationships. The stronger oppress the weaker.

That is how it was from the beginning.

The older brother kills the younger.

He abuses his wife

The rich oppress the poor

The master humiliates the servant

Kingdoms abuse power

Royalty lives off the work of commoners.

Governments oppress with their laws.

This has been the human reality.

We have created theories, narratives, and philosophies to mistreat each other only because of the place where we were born or because of the color of our skin.

What can we say about the Greek Empire and its higher philosophy? The reason of the Greeks led them to believe that they should Hellenize the world, and they did.

It was under Greek rule that the Jews suffered bloody persecutions in what is known as the Maccabean period. It was so strong that the Seleucids, one of the dynasties after Alexander's death, sacrificed pigs on the altar of the temple in Jerusalem.

Babylon erased identity and exalted pride.

Medo-Persia used laws to trap the faithful.

Greece spread conquest and pride in human reason.

"Though different in form, all these kingdoms share the same DNA: pride, control, and oppression—reflecting Satan's character."

God's people suffered under these empires—and still do.

Around the world and in our own country, systems still wear out the saints.

We have all felt Babylon's confusion, Persia's pressure, and Greece's pride.

We have all felt the weight of Babylon, the intimidation of Persia, the seduction of Greece.

"But then comes a kingdom that's even worse... and much more dangerous."

The Fourth Kingdom

Daniel 2 presents us with the fourth kingdom as the legs of iron and the feet a mixture of iron and clay. The text reads:

Daniel 2:40–44 NASB95

40 “Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. 41 “In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. 42 “As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. 43 “And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery. 44 “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

Daniel's dream is even more intriguing:

Daniel 7:7–8 NASB95

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. 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.

Daniel 7:19–21 NASB95

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, 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. 21 “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them

This is the last earthly empire in the prophetic line. History reveals that Rome took control of the world arena. Once again, the hunger for power, ambition, wickedness, and violence was shown at its best in the Roman Empire. This is not to mention moral deviations, idolatry, and excesses.

We would not have enough time to talk about all that God's people have suffered under the Roman Empire. From Pompey's conquest in 63 B.C. to the Crusades and Inquisition, faithful followers of the creator God have come under brutal attack from a system that reflects the character of the enemy.

A careful look at the text reveals that this empire has had several nuances throughout history.

First, he appears with an empire similar to his predecessors. A political and military empire that seeks the glory of this world.

Then the empire is fragmented. Threats and opposition arise. The kingdom is weakened. This is what Daniel presents as iron and clay, partly strong and partly weak. In chapter seven, 10 horns are also kings (Daniel 7:23).

However, a horn appears from among them that is different. It is a horn that has eyes, a mouth, speaks against blasphemies against God, and persecutes the saints of the Most High.

The seer of Babylon describes it like this:

Daniel 7:21 NASB95

21 “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them

Daniel 7:25 NASB95

25 ‘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.

Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, pagan Rome, all of them in pagan kingdoms. They served false gods; they were led directly into the kingdom of darkness. But now the game changes.

This little horn emerges as a political-religious power. And not the pagan religion, but the Christian faith.

This power takes over the Judeo-Christian tradition and mixes it with Roman paganism. Together with Greek philosophy, a system is created that gives the world a distorted image of the God of the Bible.

This is Satan's deception. Using the same Christian religion to sell an abusive, oppressive, and controlling image of the creator God. That power used religion together with political power to kill anyone who believed it to be different. That is why Daniel says:

Daniel 7:21 NASB95

21 “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them

"This kingdom does not just dominate politically — it claims divine authority and misrepresents God's character. It speaks in God's name but acts like the enemy."

The Kingdom of God

I praise the Lord that the text does not end with the fourth beast. Sometimes we become so focused on the fourth beast and the little horn that we forget that the climax of the story is the kingdom of God.

Daniel 2:44–45 NASB95

44 “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. 45 “Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

Just a few features:

It is an eternal kingdom.

He will forever destroy abusive earthly kingdoms.

It is a kingdom that comes from heaven. Not of men.

Daniel 7 presents this more clearly and fascinatingly. Are you ready?

Three times in the chapter, the sequence Little Horn – Judgment – Throne is repeated.

Daniel 7:8–10 NASB95

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. 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. 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.

Daniel 7:21–22 NASB95

21“I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them 22until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the 2saints took possession of the kingdom.

Daniel 7:25–27 NASB95

25 ‘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. 26 ‘But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. 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.’

Today, we are not going to discuss judgment, but I want to clarify that judgment is about condemning God's enemies and vindicating, saving, redeeming, and delivering God's children from oppression.

Praise with me, church.

The text informs us that the kingdom has been restored to the saints of the Most High.

Read it with me again:

Daniel 7:18 NASB95

18 ‘But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’

The apostle Paul understood this and wrote:

1 Corinthians 15:24 NASB95

24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.

Here we are told that the entire world system as we know it— the total psycho-edifice of human power structures-will come to an end as the final outcome of the Christ event. The life, death, and resurrection of Christ inaugurated a radically different arrangement of the world. If what Paul has written here is not true, the future of humanity is bleak beyond estimation. However, if it is true, we are headed for the most glorious state of existence imaginable. (Ty Gibson, The Sonship of Christ, 158).

This is the promise, this is the glorious future that God promises you. God is going to return the earth to its original state before the fall of Adam and Eve. This is the New Creations.

The kingdom that God made for the human race will be returned, Hallelujah.

This world is not your home — yet.

One day, God will restore all things, and we will live on a renewed earth. It is toward that end that Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 point.

But as you know, we are not there yet

and...

How do we live the here and now?

Jesus set his kingdom in motion when he came to earth. His first sermon was

Matthew 4:17 NASB95

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

However, Jesus is a different kind of king. The people always wanted a king and a kingdom, and Jesus said to them:

You want a king? Okay, hand me that apron and let me serve you, because he that is greatest among you will be your servant (John 13).

You want a king to conquer your enemies? Okay, my kingdom will be populated with enemies who have been made friends through forgiveness (Matthew 5; Luke 23:34).

You want a king to rule over you? All right, enthrone Me on that cross and I will draw you to Myself with love rather than drive you by force (Matthew 27:37; John 12:32; John 18:36-37). (Gibson, 162)

Now let us return to the question: How do we live the here and now?

Answer: Living Jesus' Way. Proclaiming his death and resurrection as the only thing that assures us a peaceful present and a future with hope. Receiving salvation by faith and practicing the Sermon on the Mount.

The Christian faith is based on the historical fact of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The rest will come by itself.

We can devote all our efforts to warning the world about what is coming, but if the world does not know or live in the light of what happened at Calvary and the empty tomb, our warning will be in vain. The end cannot be truly understood without first knowing the One who overcame in the middle of history.

Christ's kingdom came two thousand years ago, and we, as His disciples, are chosen to bring others into the kingdom. That is why our lives, families, and churches should reflect the character of Christ's kingdom.

We must be communities where love reigns, where there is no criticism and selfishness, because the greatest manifestation of God's kingdom on earth is communities with healthy relationships.

Jesus said it very clearly:

John 13:35 NASB95

35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This is how the here and now is lived as we await the return of our Lord. Thus, we live as we wait for the rock of heaven to bring down the tyrannical realms of this world. Thus, we live while the Ancient of Days judges. This is how we live...

Although we live in this world, we are not part of this world. But one day, Jehovah will give us the kingdom forever with Jesus.

Conclusion and appeal

Wars did not bring peace — they only deepened the wounds. Economies did not bring security — they collapsed beneath our feet.

Technology did not save us — it disconnected and confused us.

Moreover, moral revolutions did not bring meaning — they left us lost in a storm of shifting truths.

Power did not bring peace.

Pride did not bring justice.

Moreover, human kingdoms — no matter how strong — have always cracked.

And deep down, we have all asked: Is there anything that holds? Any place that will not shake? Any kingdom that will not turn against us?

Daniel saw the answer.

Not in Babylon’s brilliance.

Not in Persia’s laws.

Not in Greece’s reason.

Not in Rome’s strength.

Not in the voice of the little horn

But, in a Rock not cut by human hands. A Kingdom that crushes oppression, outlasts every empire, and never passes away.

That Kingdom has a name: Jesus Christ.

He is the King, crowned with thorns. The Rock that cannot be moved. The Judge who stands — not only to condemn — but to save His people.

And His Kingdom? It has already begun. It broke into history when Jesus lived, died and rose from the dead. It is growing now in every heart that surrenders to Him. Moreover, one day, it will fill the earth with glory.

This is the gospel tension we live in: Already — but not yet. The Kingdom is here, but not yet complete. We are home — but not yet fully.

So, how do we live while we wait?

We forgive when others fight.

We serve when others grasp for power.

We tell the truth when the world is full of lies.

We embody the love of a Kingdom not of this world, but for this world.

We do not bow to Babylon. We do not flatter Persia. We do not idolize Greece. We do not follow Rome. Moreover, we do not listen to the little horn.

We follow the Lamb.

We live like the Kingdom is already here — because it is. We hope the Kingdom is coming soon — because it will. And we trust that the Ancient of Days still sits on the throne, And the Son of Man will come in glory.

Because one day, the kingdoms of this world will be no moe and this earth will become the Kingdom of our Lord and His Christ with the new creation.

Moreover, He shall reign forever and ever.

So, stand firm. Love deeply. Forgive freely. Speak boldly. Live faithfully.

Because this world is not your home, yet. However, the King is coming. And the Kingdom is yours.