Daniel 7 (2)

Confident Living in Chaotic Times

The dream Daniel records in Daniel 7 and 8 occur somewhere between the events recorded in Daniel 4 and 5.

His dream in chapter 7 has a lot in common with a dream Nebuchadnezzar had that only Daniel could interpret recorded in Daniel 2.

Daniel tells us twice in Dan 7 that his vision or dream terrified him (vs 15,28).

The beasts Daniel describes are indeed frightful and fear - inducing.

The purpose of the vision, however, is not to create fear and uncertainty for the people of God.

There are several purposes that God has preserved these startling visions for us.

God’s Sovereign Control of History

Daniel and his fellow Jews living in captivity were immersed in a culture that believed history was an endless cycle with a specific beginning and no clear ending.

Those raised on the five books of Moses and the prophets who followed needed to be reminded that no matter where God’s people were, no matter what others understood, God is sovereign.

Chaos is Normal but not Eternal

The initial sentence of Daniel’s vision points to the ‘great sea’ and the the ‘four winds of heaven.’

Almost all Ancient Near Eastern peoples knew of the Mediterranean Sea. With rare exceptions all the peoples in that region regarded the sea - or any large body of water - with suspicion and fear!

Depending on the wind for power on the water was and is a challenging practice.

Most Ancient Near Eastern peoples avoided the sea - and other large bodies of water - with good reason.

For Daniel and his fellow-Jews the winds of the sea point back to a time recorded in Genesis.

Genesis 1:2 HCSB

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

It was from this ‘formless and empty darkness’ in which God brought order from the chaos. As God spoke light came, that which was formless took shape, animals, plants, and ultimately man and woman came into existence at the command of God’s Word and by the work of His hands.

At every point in creation God is directly engaged, and He continues to exercise control.

God’s Ultimate Victory over Chaos

A final theme in Daniel’s vision is that no matter how challenging and chaotic life may be, God will ultimately be the victor.

Many scholars have spent their entire careers trying to pin down exactly which beast represents which kingdom. Entire movements of believers have fought over the tiniest of details in passages like Daniel 7.

Many believers want to press in to these chapters and prove that their interpretation of how and when Jesus is returning is the ONLY ACCEPTABLE one.

As we look into Daniel 7 I would like to suggest a slightly different approach. I have my own views regarding when and how the return of Jesus will occur. I can honestly say that the more I read God’s Word the less certain I am of my ability to correctly understand all the symbols and pictures Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and John, the Beloved Disciple who gives us ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ’ (Rev 1:1).

The heart of Daniel’s vision is in vs 9 - 14. Now in my 60’s I’ve heard countless sermons and read far too many journal articles and books trying to prove that the beasts Daniel saw corresponded to specific world powers.

This past week Mikhail Gorbachev died at 91 yrs of age. He was the last unquestioned ruler of what we used to call the USSR. More times than I can recall I remember hearing that his reign was truly that of the anti-Christ and that he was planning a federation of European states that would fulfill all Daniel’s visions about the fourth beast.

Each of the four beasts has a specific (though uncertain) origin and a clearly defined ending -

Daniel 7:3 HCSB

Four huge beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.

Then as the angel explains the vision he tells Daniel

Daniel 7:23–26 (HCSB)

“This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, different from all the other kingdoms.

It will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it. The 10 horns are 10 kings who will rise from this kingdom.

Another, different from the previous ones, will rise after them and subdue three kings. He will speak words against the Most High and oppress the holy ones of the Most High.

He will intend to change religious festivals and laws, and the holy ones will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time. But the court will convene, and his dominion will be taken away, to be completely destroyed forever.

The Ancient of Days

In Dan 7:9-10 we are given a glimpse of one called ‘the Ancient of Days.’

Daniel 7:9–10 (HCSB)

“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.

Remember that this section of Daniel was originally written in Aramaic, not Hebrew.

The ‘Ancient of Days’ describes one who appears to be old - aged. In the Ancient Near East age was almost always associated with wisdom and knowledge. Here Daniel is expressing that God - seen in a human form - is indeed eternal. The Psalms - which Daniel may have been familiar with describe God as the One who sits enthroned ‘forever..’

The way Daniel describes God has nothing to do with facial or physical characteristics. ‘White clothing, white hair, and a throne of blazing fire’ suggest purity and a brightness that makes specific characteristics impossible to distinguish.

It is to this ‘Ancient of Day’ that passes and executes the sentence of destruction (see Dan 7:26).

In the terrifying vision Daniel recognized that as chaotic and unstable as the four beasts were there was One who has existed and will continue to exist.

Knowing that God is eternally on His throne is grounds for confidence and certainty - no matter how frightening and terrifying the world around us may appear.

One like ‘a son of man’ receives the Kingdom

The court has assembled. God has taken His throne. Thousands upon thousands serve Him, 10,000 times 10,000 stand before Him - including the beasts!

Into the court comes one Daniel describes ‘like a son of man.’

From this side of the cross we recognize the ‘one like a son of man’ as Jesus Christ.

The ‘son of man’ figure is rooted in Genesis and reaches forward all the way to John’s revelation (the last book of the New Testament).

In Genesis 1 - 2 God creates Adam - known as a ‘son of God.’ His failure in the Garden to fully and accurately represent God did not mean the end of God’s plan.

From Adam’s seed, Israel - known as the son of God and the son of man - came.

They also failed in the call to do all God had commanded in Genesis 1:26-28.

Then we hear Jesus identify Himself as the son of man and the Son of God - doing what Adam failed to do, fulfilling all that Israel had been called to do.

Here in Daniel’s vision centuries before the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, we are given a glimpse of how God unveils His eternal kingdom!

Daniel 7:14 HCSB

He was given authority to rule, 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.

God’s Kingdom Fully Realized in His People

Perhaps the most significant section of the angelic explanation of the vision is in

Daniel 7:23–27 (HCSB)

“This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, different from all the other kingdoms.

It will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it. The 10 horns are 10 kings who will rise from this kingdom.

Another, different from the previous ones, will rise after them and subdue three kings.

He will speak words against the Most High and oppress the holy ones of the Most High.

He will intend to change religious festivals and laws, and the holy ones will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time.

But the court will convene, and his dominion will be taken away, to be completely destroyed forever.

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.’

The ‘little horn’

Since John put pen to paper or parchment in what we call the NT book of Revelation 2,000 years ago Christians have sought to identify specifically who this ‘little horn’ might be.

Calvin, the reformer of the 16th century was certain that it was the papacy and the Roman Catholic Church.

In our lifetime we have heard numerous explanations that the little horn was the USSR,

or maybe it was Saddam Hussein, or it might be the nation of Iran,

or perhaps Henry Kissinger or some other notable figure.

John himself reminded believers in his first letter that

1 John 2:18 HCSB

Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard, “Antichrist is coming,” even now many antichrists have come. We know from this that it is the last hour.

At a time of God’s choosing judgment will be handed down. He who rules eternally, represented by His Son and though His Holy Spirit will banish all evil and all the supernatural powers who rebelled against God.

His kingdom will be firmly established for all eternity.

The Holy Ones of the Most High Share in God’s Eternal Kingdom

We cannot ignore the role of God’s people - identified in Dan 7 as ‘the holy ones’ (vs 18, 21, 22, 27.)

After Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden, Eve gave birth to Abel and Cain, and other children most of whose names are not recorded.

After Abel’s death, Eve gave birth to a son named Seth. From the line of Seth came Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and eventually the people we know as Jews.

As the Jews rejected Jesus, God opened a door of faith to Gentiles - and as the Apostle Paul clearly states

Romans 10:11–13 HCSB

Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame, for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

‘Everyone who believes...’ ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord....’

We are the holy ones to whom the kingdom will one day be revealed! We are the innumerable ones surrounding the throne in Dan 7:10, and again in Revelation 7:9

Revelation 7:9 (HCSB)

After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were robed in white with palm branches in their hands.

Certainty or Chaos?

Chaos may be normal but God’s Kingdom is eternal

Like Daniel you and I live in chaotic times. Newspapers, social media, and broadcast media all seem to ask where will the next major conflict occur - not when.

We have little or no control over the chaos of the world in which we live.

Our certainty is built on the foundation of the nature and character of our God.

Like Daniel we may tremble and be terrified at what is going on around us.

Like Daniel the most important issue is not which kingdom is which. Rather the most important issue is this:

The Eternal and Everlasting Nature of our God.

Some 70 years ago one observer of believers in the Western world wrote these words:

the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do,

but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God.

This is true not only of the individual Christian but of the company of Christians that compose the Church.

Classic Reprint, A. W. Tozer . The Attributes of God: Knowledge of the HOLY (Original Edition) . Kindle Edition.

There is a powerful pull in passages like Daniel 7 to get lost in the details of which king, which ruler, which empire may be coming.

The real import of these passages is to remind us that our ultimate goal as the people of God is nothing less than the presence of God Himself.

Feeding our soul with the presence of God

Daniel ends his account like this:

Daniel 7:28 HCSB

“This is the end of the interpretation. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts terrified me greatly, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”

When Daniel tells us that he kept the matter to himself, he tells us he took the matter ‘to heart.’

In the OT era to take something to heart was to meditate on it, to allow the events or circumstances to shape how one lives.

A Puritan writer proposes:

The keeping and right managing of the heart in every condition, is one great business of a Christian's life.

Flavel, John. Keeping the Heart . Fig. Kindle Edition.

Flavel continues by telling us that keeping the heart is hard work and it is constant work.

Taking the matter to heart is not license to forget - it is a call to think deeply, to pray intelligently, and to speak to others cautiously.

We don’t need to avoid or ignore the chaotic nature of the world in which we live.

Let’s close with some questions from Daniel’s experience:

What is the primary focus of your heart?

Daniel was a busy government official, serving in a world radically different from the one in which he was raised.

Even in Babylon, surrounded by godlessness, seeing and hearing idolatry, Daniel managed to narrow the focus of his heart on the nature and character of God.

Where is your heart focused?

family

job

personal pleasure

your walk with God through a relationship with Jesus, being daily empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Are there steps you can take today to narrow the focus of your heart -

Receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior -

Following Him in obedience

baptism

becoming part of a local fellowship of believers -

As we sing one final song, if I can be of assistance, come and talk with me, or catch me after and lets set a time to talk....