Daniel 7 -- Lumley's Twelve
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Series Summary
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. 2 Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. 5 And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ 6 After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 “As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.
11 “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 “I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14 And 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 one
that shall not be destroyed.
Setting of Daniel
Setting of Daniel
The Exile is in full swing and Daniel and his friends are taken into exile… Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego.
They refuse to eat the King’s food — they are vindicated.
They refuse to bow to the the King’s idol — vindicated
Perhaps the most famous story in Daniel — essential for understanding this passage in — is Daniel’s vindication from the Lion’s Den...
Perhaps the most famous story in Daniel — essential for understanding this passage in — is Daniel’s vindication from the Lion’s Den...
Like Joseph before him, Daniel is admired and respected by the King — not just for interp dreams, but for their shrewdness.
He is set up and delivered to the den of monsters — which is down below… lower...
The stone is rolled over the mouth of the den
King prays and wants Daniel to be saved.
King runs to see if the den is now a tomb; it is still a den.
“Angels preserved me”
Stone removed… Daniel brought up to position of honor by the King.
Dan 6:
16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
for he is the living God,
enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be to the end.
To this point in the story, Daniel does all the interpreting of the dreams and visions of others.
To this point in the story, Daniel does all the interpreting of the dreams and visions of others.
He does not know how to interpret his own dream/vision, so a heavenly attendant comes to help him.
The Vision has four monsters out of the sea...
The Vision has four monsters out of the sea...
Lion — eagles wings. Wings removed. Stood on 2 feet and given the mind of a man. (7.4)
Bear — raised up on one side. Three ribs in its mouth, and it was looking to devour more flesh. (7.5)
Leopard — four wings, four heads, and dominion to rule.
The most terrifying and dreadful and strong of the bests — with iron teeth with powerful, crushing feet. Had 10 horns… with an 11th horn that was powerful enough to replace 3 of the first 10 horns… and this last horn had eyes like a man and a mouth that spoke “great things.” (7.7-8)
There has been and will continue to be a great deal of debate about what these monsters represent.
There has been and will continue to be a great deal of debate about what these monsters represent.
Who they represent is not as crucial to our time together this morning as to unite around the likelihood that they were and are intended to represent GREAT IMPERIAL REGIMS.
Who they represent is not as crucial to our time together this morning as to unite around the likelihood that they were and are intended to represent GREAT IMPERIAL REGIMS.
Powerful
Imposing
Daunting
THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD
In the vision, God’s patience has run out…
In the vision, God’s patience has run out…
The Sovereign Lord takes His rightful seat and takes his place as the judge...
The Sovereign Lord takes His rightful seat and takes his place as the judge...
Dan 7:9-10
9 “As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.
Dan 7:
9 “As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.
11 “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.
The King emerges over den of monsters
The veil of this vision — like the stone over the door of the den — is rolled back.
And the monsters of the kingdoms of the world are judged — by death or by jailing.
And just as the King in is looking for Daniel to be vindicated… the Ancient of Days is looking on the Earth for one to be vindicated...
And just as the King in is looking for Daniel to be vindicated… the Ancient of Days is looking on the Earth for one to be vindicated...
Dan 7:13-
13 “I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14 And 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 one
that shall not be destroyed.
The Son of Man — One like a Human Being — comes before God and is presented to the Sovereign One and the Son of Man is vindicated...
The Son of Man — One like a Human Being — comes before God and is presented to the Sovereign One and the Son of Man is vindicated...
Like Daniel and his friends with the food
Like Shad, Meshach, and Abed in the fire
Like Daniel in the Lions Den...
The Monsters represent the human empires — all human empires — that end up being judged and passing away...
The Monsters represent the human empires — all human empires — that end up being judged and passing away...
The Son of Man represents the faithful, loyal people of the holy one --- who carry the promise… who are a part of the problem...
The Son of Man represents the faithful, loyal people of the holy one --- who carry the promise… who are a part of the problem...
The Son of Man is vindicated — for in the face and midst of the monsters — because He never wavers… falters… sins.
The Son of Man is vindicated — for in the face and midst of the monsters — because He never wavers… falters… sins.
He is faithful to the Living God!
Who is this Son of Man?
Who is this Son of Man?
In all four gospels Jesus is relentless in offering this title from as a central title for Jesus’ understanding of himself and his calling.
Many understand Jesus title as Son of Man to be a title of his second coming… that his second coming is his vindication.
Many understand Jesus title as Son of Man to be a title of his second coming… that his second coming is his vindication.
Here is one example as to why...
Luke 12:
35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
But when you consider the pattern of … and of … I am convinced that Jesus, the Son of Man, is NOT vindicated by the Ancient of Days at His second coming!
But when you consider the pattern of … and of … I am convinced that Jesus, the Son of Man, is NOT vindicated by the Ancient of Days at His second coming!
He is vindicated at his resurrection… then taken to his throne and is seated beside the Father...
He is vindicated at his resurrection… then taken to his throne and is seated beside the Father...
11 “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.
10 A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.
9 “As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
Thrones… One God… a throne for the Father… a throne for the Son of God/Son of Man.
So cosmic… so brutal… we are caught up in this war...
So cosmic… so brutal… we are caught up in this war...
I remind you of this...
23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
The New International Version Chapter 6
The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
No wound was found on him...