The Promise of a Greater Kingdom, Part II

Introduction

Every single one of us has a built in biological identity marker. Your identity marker is unique to you. Of course, I’m referring to your DNA. Your DNA identifies you. Your DNA can prove your guilt or innocence were you suspected of a crime. Your DNA can reveal whether you are the paternal parent of a child. Your DNA can also tell you what illnesses you’re susceptible to, what medicines may be effective in treating those illnesses, and also can help identify who your ancestors might have been. Would you want to know for instance, what diseases you are susceptible to? What impact would that information have on you mentally? What impact would it have on your behaviors?

Knowledge about what the future holds can either be powerfully freeing OR powerfully paralyzing. Wouldn’t you agree? In this last half of the book of Daniel, Daniel is gaining insights about future events that are going to happen in this world. What is his response? Verse 15 Daniel says, “my spirit within me was anxious and the visions of my head alarmed me.” Verse 28 Daniel says, “my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.” This knowledge had a physical impact on him, but it did not shake his faith.

Last week I suggest 3 purposes for the study of Daniel 7 - 12

1. Worship at the footstool of the King of glory.

2. Stir our hearts to declare and share the glory of the coming King with others.

3. Get ready because the grand stage of world events is set in place.

The chaos we are seeing in the world is here in part in order to witness to the fact that...

Doctrinal Theme: “The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will.” (4:32)

I. The Kingdoms of Men (Daniel 7:1-7, 15-23).

What we are studying in the book of Daniel is actually the beginning of what is known biblically as "the times of the Gentiles." Prophetically speaking, the times of the Gentiles began with Nebuchadnezzar's reign in Babylon and his taking captive the people of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and will end with the Second Coming of Jesus.

As I set forth last week, these four kingdoms of men through human history parallel Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2. The Lion is Babylon, the bear is the Medes and Persians, the leopard is Greece, and the fourth beast Daniel describes as terrifying, dreadful, and exceedingly strong is the Roman Empire.

II. The Kingdom of Satan (Daniel 7:8-12, 24-26).

I refer to the revived Roman Empire of the End Times as the Kingdom of Satan for a couple of reasons.

First, the little horn of Daniel 7:8 is the End Times Antichrist. As we study Daniel 8 - 12 we’re going to get more acquainted with this character who will rule during the Tribulation time. For now we see in this chapter that...

The antichrist is a ruler who conquers other nations (8). Jesus is a ruler who reigns having never fired a bullet.

He is a ruler who boasts great things (8, 11). Jesus is a ruler who does great things.

He is a ruler who speaks against the Most High (25). Jesus is a ruler who witnesses of the Most High.

He is a ruler who makes war with the saints and prevails over them (21, 25). Jesus is a ruler who wins the saints and prevails with the saints.

He is a ruler who believes he can change the times and the laws (25, 2:21…compare). Jesus is a ruler who actually does rule over times and seasons.

He is a ruler whose kingdom will be short-lived (especially in comparison to King Jesus) (25, Rev. 13:5). 3 1/2 year reign and then he is destroyed. Jesus is a ruler whose dominion knows no end.

He is a ruler who will be judged by the court of heaven (26, 10…compare). Jesus is a ruler to whom all judgment has been given.

Second, I refer to the revived Roman Empire of the End Times as the Kingdom of Satan because this End Times empire is clearly satanically influenced and represents the last gasp effort of the unbelieving rebellious human race, and especially rebellious Satan, to overthrow the authority of God and to rise above His glory.

At the tower of Babel in Genesis 11 the peoples come together to build for themselves a name and to rob God of His rightful glory.

In the Exodus, the Egyptian Pharaoh stubbornly refused to surrender to the authority of God and even in some cases supernaturally mirrored God’s miraculous judgments through his magicians.

In the OT history of Israel the Canaanites were pagan peoples who worshiped false gods and sought to exalt themselves as god.

Israel during that same history was infested with wicked kings who refused to live as the distinct people of God and to lead Israel in honoring and worshiping the Lord.

In Babylon Nebuchadnezzar and his successors sought the worship of the people of the world in defiance of the God of Israel, who alone is God.

In the Medo Persian Empire Darius decreed that the people worship him. The same was true in the Grecian and Roman empires where worshiping their leaders were among the idolatrous atrocities of pagan worship.

In the final revived Roman Empire the antichrist will rise up and speak blasphemies against the God of heaven and demand that the peoples of the world pay homage to him.

III. The Kingdom of Christ (Daniel 7:13-14, 27).

The Kingdom of Christ came in part with the first advent of Jesus and therefore is partially here in the form of the true Church.

In the gospels Jesus makes a kingdom offer to the nation of Israel and the Jewish religious leaders rejected that offer by attributing the works of Jesus to Satan and demons and then crucifying Him. Upon their attributing the works of Jesus Satan and demons Jesus turns His attention to going to the Gentiles. (Study of Matthew’s gospel).

There is a clear transition in the Gospel of Matthew between chapters 12 and 13. In chapter 12 the Jews commit the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, which is attributing the works of the Spirit to the works of the devil. In chapter 13 Jesus begins speaking in parables so that the blinded eyes of the Jewish religious leaders will not understand what He is teaching. He has at that point given them up to their own rebelliousness and rejection of Him as their Messianic King. Jesus begins turning to the Gentiles. We see him heal the demoniac in the Gentile region of Gennesaret. He later returns to that region and performs many other healings and many Gentiles believe. He heals the daughter of a Canaanite women.

The church -age represents a partial spiritual kingdom of Christ on earth today. This church-age which we now live in was hidden from the OT prophets, but revealed with first coming of Christ and the birth of the Church in Acts 2. Paul describes this mystery in Ephesians 3 as the mystery of Christ. Here’s what he writes,

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

The Kingdom of Christ will be fully present when Christ the King is fully present on earth to rule and reign (13-14, 27).

Jesus’ Coming will usher in the fullness of His Kingdom on earth where He will rule and reign bodily present.

Jesus rides on the clouds of heaven.

Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Mark 14:62

“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30

Jesus has been given dominion, and glory, and a Kingdom. (14)

We have not yet beheld the fullness of His dominion, glory, and Kingdom, but we will. Right now His spiritual dominion lives in every believer. His glory shines in our hearts. His spiritual Kingdom is put on display by those who walk in righteousness in this world. 2 Cor. 3:1-3 says,

The New International Version Chapter 3

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Jesus’ dominion, glory, and Kingdom commands all peoples, nations, and languages to serve Him (14).

Matthew 28:18-20...

The New International Version Chapter 28

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus’ rule is an everlasting rule (14). Unlike all of the kingdoms of human history, Jesus’ kingdom rule will not pass away and will not be destroyed.

The saints of God will rule and reign with King Jesus (27).

Conclusion

The Ancient of Days is enthroned in Heaven. He is awesome and fierce. He knows the future because the future is His. He controls the rise and the fall of Nations.

The Nations are as a drop in a bucket and like the dust on a scale to Him. Every single one of us is going to stand before Him and give an account. It would behoove each of us to stop living as though that day were a long way off or as though it is never coming. It is knocking on the door and the Church is chasing its proverbial tail out in the world.

Daniel had this vision in the first year of the reign of Belshazzar in Babylon. Daniel knew that the days of the Babylonian Kingdom were numbered and that his days were numbered. He did not settle into a foreign land and take his ease and comfort and invest himself in the affairs of this world. He sought after the Lord with all of his heart and he walked with God. He got ready spiritually, he stayed ready spiritually, and when the time came and the Medes and Persians swept in and conquered, Daniel kept living for the Lord.

My job is to exhort us to get ready and to stay ready…to be the watchman on the wall of the city looking out over the landscape for coming invasion and then to turn and sound the alarm. Daniel was alarmed at what he saw in his vision. The study of apocalyptic prophecy should alarm us. There are still a great many mysteries regarding the End Times. Both the truth that we do know and that which is still a bit fuzzy should cause us both to flee to the Lord and to lovingly warn those around us.

“And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure.” 1 John 3:3 How do we get ready? 1. repent of sin 2. walk with Jesus diligently 3. study, memorize, and meditate on Scripture 4. pursue holiness 5. live faithfully in church community 6. admonish, love and encourage each other 7. be zealous for good works 8. share the gospel 9. take Jesus with you everywhere you go

verse 28 says, “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.”