What the...?
The Writing is on the Wall • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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As I said last week, we have finished the history part of Daniel. Now chapters 7-12, is dealing with dreams and prayers that can be very confusing and in all honesty, very scary if you look at it with carnal eyes.
Normally, when I preach, I try to give you the application part during or near the end of the message. Today, I want to start with the application that I want to reenforce for the next 6 messages. And that is...
You can’t live in tomorrow without going through today!
Let me say that again...
You can’t live in tomorrow without going through today!
Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
We will be talking about history and end times these next 6 weeks, and the future is filled with uncertainty.
Many a pastors have made a name for themselves for being a hell fire and brimstone preacher, feeding in on that uncertainty.
When this is done, all it does is make a bunch of anxious Christians that do not live for today.
This is the day the Lord has made;
let’s rejoice and be glad in it.
Anxiety is a tree with its roots built upon uncertainty.
When we live in the uncertain future, we forget to live in the certain moment.
So why do we read and study these things about end times?
Well, first off, it is in God’s Word and we must be faithful to read and study His Word.
Secondly, He does not want ignorant Christians. His bride must be very aware of the signs of the groom’s coming and we must be prepared.
So we read and study these things.
Now, end times is not an uncertainty that we should be scared of, but as a blood bought, born again Christian, it is love story of the bride finally taken by the Groom.
I guess that is why I love this study and why it means so much to me to ensure I let the Holy Spirit guide my words to not bring fear but to instill a since of longing to live today, to rejoice and be glad in it.
For the next 6 weeks, you will get the major parts of the story that Daniel is telling us and it will be backed with verses mostly coming from the book of Revelation.
There will be what is known as Apocalyptic language that we can give educated guess on its meaning but also things that are misinterpreted.
I will do my best, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to give you an idea of what is speculation and what is historical.
So let’s get into the verses for today, and I will ask my wife since she decided to travel the known universe, to open us up in prayer.
Earthly Empires
“The first was like a lion but had eagle’s wings. I continued watching until its wings were torn off. It was lifted up from the ground, set on its feet like a man, and given a human mind.
“Suddenly, another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up! Gorge yourself on flesh.’
“After this, while I was watching, suddenly another beast appeared. It was like a leopard with four wings of a bird on its back. It had four heads, and it was given dominion.
“After this, while I was watching in the night visions, suddenly a fourth beast appeared, frightening and dreadful, and incredibly strong, with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and it trampled with its feet whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns.
‘These huge beasts, four in number, are four kings who will rise from the earth.
So a lot of people will misinterpret this and say this represents the beast in Revelation, which is very similar to what John saw in Revelation 13:1-2
And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten crowns, and on its heads were blasphemous names. The beast I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority.
Now I will get back to this in a moment, but let’s not read into these verses without look more at what was in nebuchadnezzar dream about the statue in Daniel 2.
First Beast — A Lion with Eagle’s Wings
The Babylonian Empire (and its king, Nebuchadnezzar).
The lion represents majestic, regal power. The eagle's wings show swiftness of conquest. When its wings are plucked and it is made to stand like a man with a human mind, it mirrors Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling and restoration (Daniel 4).
Second Beast — A Bear (Lopsided, with Three Ribs in its Mouth)
The Medo-Persian Empire.
Raised up on one side, it signifies the unequal power balance where Persia dominated Media. The three ribs in its mouth represent major territorial conquests, typically understood as Babylon, Egypt, and Lydia.
Third Beast — A Leopard with Four Wings and Four Heads
The Greco-Macedonian Empire under Alexander the Great.
The four bird wings denote extreme speed and swiftness in military campaigns. The four heads represent the division of Alexander's empire among his four general successors after his early death.
Fourth Beast — A Terrifying and Dreadful Beast with Iron Teeth and Ten Horns
The Roman Empire (and a final, future end-times global power or system).
Unlike the previous animal likenesses, this beast is monstrous, crushing and devouring everything in its path with massive iron teeth. The ten horns represent a group of ten kings or centers of authority, out of which a boastful "little horn" (often linked to the Antichrist) later emerges.
Many scholars link the Antichrist to a modern confederacy or a revived version of the historic Roman Empire based on the books of Daniel and Revelation. This leads to the view that he will be a Gentile leader emerging from a European or 10-nation coalition.
That is where we see the one horn coming up and three horns will fall, meaning the Antichrist will start out with 10 kingdoms and a promise of peace, but that will be short lived and he will go to war with three of the kingdoms.
This just shows that no matter how powerful or enduring a human kingdom may seem, they are all temporary and all are flawed.
All earthly empires will one day bend their knee and call out to the one true king and the one true kingdom.
Ancient of Days
“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.
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.
Daniel’s dream switches from a chaotic scene to the heavenly courtroom where God, Whom Daniel calls the Ancient of Days sit to execute judgement.
Daniel is referencing God this way because of what he may have read in
Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from eternity to eternity, you are God.
We know that Daniel was around a lot of pagan religions and gods. With him calling God the Ancient of Days, set him above all because He was before all.
Daniel goes on to give a description of what we believe is the a reference to the White Throne Judgement
Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.
Now let’s look at more of what Daniel says here
“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. 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.
This is almost directly what John wrote in Revelation
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.
Now as discussed, we believe the little horn that Daniel is speaking of represents the Antichrist. And this is also where we must be aware of what he is capable of.
He will be very eloquent is his speech and he will deceive even the Christians because of his promise of earthly peace.
They have treated my people’s brokenness superficially,
claiming, “Peace, peace,”
when there is no peace.
Peace only comes from a true relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no peace outside of Him.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Even Daniel see this
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.
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.
Daniel see the authority that Jesus Christ has in the everlasting kingdom.
What we are truly talking about is Christ’s second coming and His dominion.
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.
The true eternal authority belongs to Jesus and he goes to His Father on behalf of all humanity and is exalted to the highest of places.
For this reason God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
And He will bring the
Final Victory
We know that this little horn will blows his tune and wage war against the saints and oppress them for a time, but we know that at the White throne the court will will decide towards the faithful.
As I was watching, this horn waged war against the holy ones and was prevailing over them until the Ancient of Days arrived and a judgment was given in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, for the time had come, and the holy ones took possession of the kingdom.
The kingdom, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey him.’
We understand that there will be suffering and persecution but it will be limited in its duration. It is our destiny to inherit the eternal unshakeable kingdom. We are coheres to the kingdom of God.
and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying,
The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign forever and ever.
Christ even tells us in Luke that the Father is pleased with those who follow Christ
Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.
Daniel’s dream terrified him
“This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts terrified me greatly, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”
This is where I will give you my thoughts on this.
I think seeing God and His Son would have put the fear of God in anyone, but I think what truly terrified Daniel was how quickly people followed the Antichrist.
How quickly and easily they were deceived.
I know that is what terrifies me. Christians follow a God of their choice.
What do I mean by that, they want God to take care of them but they will not truly follow Him.
That is the true deception the devil has done.
He doesn’t need you to deny God or Jesus, he just needs you to be selfish enough to not follow Christ fully.
People think if they are good enough, if I say the right prayers, if i live right, I am good.
Billy Sunday told of a man who came to him and said, "I will cut out the booze and get on the water wagon," "Good; what else?" "Of course, I am a gambler; I will quit gambling and I will never touch a pack of cards." "All right; what else?" "I am a bad man, and I will live a clean life." "Good; what else?" He said, "If I quit these things, I think they cover about all. I will quit drinking, swearing, stop gambling, and I will quit being impure." Billy said, "Good. Give me your hand and say you will accept Jesus Christ as your Savior," He said, "No, I will not. If I stop those things, I won't need to do that."
