Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.09UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.09UNLIKELY
Fear
0.56LIKELY
Joy
0.58LIKELY
Sadness
0.18UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.53LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.84LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.93LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.38UNLIKELY
Extraversion
0.13UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.33UNLIKELY
Emotional Range
0.53LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
What are some things that
excite you about the future?
What are some things that make you nervous, anxious, or even fearful about the future?
THIS WEEK’S focus
Most of us wish we could know what the future has in store for us.
We would love to know which of our favorite teams will make it to the playoffs next year, or whether or not we’ll get the part in the play we auditioned for.
We may even be curious about things further in the future, like which college we’ll go to or what kind of jobs we will have.
It can be fun to make guesses about what the future will hold, but not knowing what’s going to happen can be scary, too.
We already know that God had given Daniel the gift of interpreting dreams, and this week we will see that God also gave Daniel visions about the future.
These visions were often frightening, but Daniel trusted that God would be faithful to His people.
Just like Daniel, believers can be confident in our future with God.
Chapter 7 begins the second half of the book, which contains Daniel’s visions of the future.
Though it chronologically falls prior to the events of chapters 5 and 6, God was apparently speaking to Daniel in this way all along.
It wasn’t just other people’s dreams he was interpreting.
Daniel was faithful to record the visions that God gave him about the future.
Here he described the seas being stirred up with four winds coming from heaven.
As the seas were stirred up, four different beasts came up from the water.
1.
What were the three beasts that Daniel saw?
In his dream, where did they come from?
Key Question
2 .What do you learn about the first three animals from Daniel’s descriptions?
What kind of traits do these animals have in our world?
What about in Daniel’s vision?
These portions of Daniel, along with a few other parts of Scripture (like Revelation) use a style of writing known as “apocalyptic literature” or just “apocalypse.”
This usually includes revelations about the future, and it usually does so with vivid, highly symbolic language—typically in the form of dreams or visions.
It can be confusing and sometimes even frightening to read these parts of the Bible.
However, it is important to remember that this kind of literature was written to a group of people who were suffering.
In Daniel’s time, God’s people were living in exile.
In Revelation, John was writing to the early followers of Jesus who were being heavily persecuted.
These visions—even with all the bizarre scenes—are ultimately reminders of the hope we have in a future that is secure in Christ.
The first beast was like a lion with eagle’s wings.
Both animals are predators, but in different environments.
The lion is given an even greater range with the wings of an eagle.
But then the wings were torn off and the animal was set on the ground like a man, and even given a human mind.
Even under the disguise of a human, it was still a beast.
The second was like a bear, a predator that had already devoured enough to have three ribs in its mouth.
Still it was called on to devour even more flesh.
Then, a third beast appeared that was like a leopard with four wings and four heads.
This beast could see far (four heads) and go far (four wings) and therefore had great dominion.
These beasts, and the fourth one that appeared last, were a visual representation of different kingdoms and rulers.
Just as the beasts had temporary power and dominion in Daniel’s vision, those kingdoms would have temporary authority.
But there was One coming who had even greater authority.
3. Why was the fourth beast even worse?
Why might the horns be significant?
Still, there was a fourth beast that appeared in Daniel’s dream.
It was more terrifying than its predecessors.
Terrifying and strong, this beast had large iron teeth.
It trampled on and devoured everything in its path.
Nothing was going to get in the way of this creature.
Standing out from the other three, it also had ten horns.
Horns typically symbolize power in these kinds of visions, and this beast had ten of them.
Its power was unmatched.
But then, another little horn appeared.
It had eyes like a person and a mouth, and it began to speak arrogantly.
Each of the beasts represented a nation or a king.
Just as is often the case in political upheaval, many people were vying for power.
This was represented by little horns trying to displace other ones and bigger horns seeking to maintain power.
Daniel had lived under the rule of many different leaders and he had seen examples of these kinds of leaders already.
He saw up close the kind of arrogance that Nebuchadnezzar had displayed— constantly speaking out of arrogance and pride and even commanding people to worship the statue he built in honor of himself.
He required an extreme humbling before he bowed to the Most High God.
But God was also pointing Daniel to what was to come.
4. What kind of feelings would you have if you saw a vision of these beasts?
What fears might it bring up in you?
Be Vulnerable
The fourth beast was described as having a little horn that spoke arrogantly.
Arrogance and self-grandeur have been repeated themes in the book of Daniel.
Consider sharing about time you have thought too highly of yourself, your accomplishments, or your status.
How did the Lord humble you?
What lessons did you learn for the future?
5. Who is the Ancient of Days?
What do these descriptions teach us about Him?
6.
What happened to the beasts?
What did this part of the vision mean?
As Daniel’s vision continued, more came into his view—a courtroom scene.
Thrones were put into their places, and the one known as the Ancient of Days took His seat.
His clothing and hair were white as snow, symbolizing purity and longevity.
His throne and its wheels were ablaze, indicating a purified rule and wide-spread authority.
As the courts convened, thousands upon thousands stood before the righteous judge as He opened the books.
The Ancient of Days who Daniel saw in his vision was a picture of the Most High God.
God alone sits on the highest throne, and He alone has the authority to rightly and righteously judge.
No earthly power can stand against Him.
As the arrogant words continued to pour forth from the horn, the mightiest of the beasts was destroyed.
The other beasts were given more time, but ultimately lost their dominion, too.
7. Who was this “Son of Man”?
How is He described?
HISTORY | What do the four beasts represent?
God used the image of these four beasts to represent four different nations or kings.
While there has been much debate about the specific nations, traditional interpretation points us to Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome as the four kingdoms at hand.
Regardless of the specifics of the represented nations, these passages point to the instability of all earthly kingdoms.
Ultimately, Israel’s hope for a restored kingdom will only come through the Ancient of Days.
8. How does verse 14 relate to what we already know about Jesus from the New Testament?
The vision continued with another person entering the courtroom— one “like a son of man” came with the clouds of heaven.
He was escorted to the throne of the Ancient of Days—God Himself as He sat on the throne.
This, of course, we understand to be Jesus, the Messiah.
God was giving Daniel a glimpse at a future kingdom that He would establish through His Son.
As Daniel had watched nations rise and fall, God was pointing Him to a day when God’s kingdom would be set up on earth.
No longer would it be about earthly powers, because when the Son of Man ushered in the kingdom of God, people would be able to experience His eternal kingdom.
Daniel’s story has continued to illustrate the greater rule and reign of God over and above any powers of this rule.
There isn’t a king powerful enough, an army strong enough, or an enemy cunning enough to thwart the work of God.
The Ancient of Days and the Son of Man were the true leaders that Israel had been seeking.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9