Daniel

The Prophetic Beasts

Daniel 7:1-28

SERMON NOTES

Subject:          “Beastly Nightmare”

Speaker:         Dr. A. Burge Troxel

Date:               February 19, 2007

Scripture:       Daniel 7:1-28

Introduction:

God is in Control

I.    God is in Control of the Future History of the World. – Dan 7:1, 3, 17

Daniel 7:1

“In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.”

Daniel 7:3

“Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.”

Daniel 7:17

“The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth.”

II.  The Last Evil Empire in the World will be Very Evil – Dan 7:7-8, 24-27, Rev 13:1-9

Daniel 7:7

“After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast — terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.”

Daniel 7:8

“While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully.”

Times of the Gentiles

Daniel 7:24

“The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.”

Daniel 7:25

“He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.”

Daniel 7:26

“But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever.”

Daniel 7:27

“Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.”

Revelation 13:1

“And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.”

Revelation 13:2

“The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.”

Future “Rome”

Revelation 13:3

“One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.”

Revelation 13:4

“Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?’”

Revelation 13:5

“The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months.”

Revelation 13:6-7

6He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.

Revelation 13:8

“All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.”

Revelation 13:9

“He who has an ear, let him hear.”

III. But, Don’t Panic

A. God is in Control – Dan 2:21b

God is in Control

Daniel 2:21b

“He (God) changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”

B. Evil will Increase – 2 Tim 3:12-13

Evil Will Increase

2 Timothy 3:12-13
12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

C. Christ will Deliver Us – Rev 3:10

Christ Will Deliver Us

Revelation 3:10
“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.”

Conclusion:

So, Be at Peace with God – 2 Pet 3:14

Be at Peace with God

2 Peter 3:14
“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”

Benediction

2 Peter 3:17-18
17Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.