Open your Bibles to Daniel 7. (2) Why do you think Daniel summarized his dream when he wrote it rather than tell it in full (see verse 1)? The first recorded vision comes to Daniel in the form of a night vision, like those of Nebuchadnezzar (2:1; 4:5) during the first year of the reign of Belshazzar. Since the last kingdom and the prophecies associated with it have not yet been fulfilled, we must in some way be a part of that kingdom. Daniel made it very clear that the dream and the interpretation had come for the one true God. Daniel was terrified or alarmed by the scenes he had seen in his mind and desired to understand what they meant. March 1, 2023, 6:00 a.m. Suddenly, the boasting beast is silenced by death, and his body is cast into the burning fire. The revelation of the writing on the banquet hall wall, already described in chapter 5, actually happened later, on the last day of Belshazzars life. Between the first half of verse 23 and the second half of this verse we have what has been referred to as the great parenthesis in the Old Testament, the mystery of the church and the Church Age which was not revealed to the world until after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Children need to know that as believers, we are on the winning team and God wins in the end. His vision in chapter 4 should have produced more distress than it did. Daniel 2:1-13 - Nebuchadnezzar's Dream. Lion - Babylon. Other biblical prophecies bear on the prophecies of Daniel, particularly preceding or contemporary prophecies. That night his life and his kingdom came to an end. With the death of Nebuchadnezzar comes a change in the peoples attitudes, especially their leaders toward Judaism. Nothing has caused him to panic or depart from his faith and practice as a godly Jew. It is explained in a way that children can understand, describing his feeling as butterfly's in his tummy.Daniel's Dream takes you on an uplifting adventure with wonderfully expressivedescriptions of the characters, perfectly capturing bodylanguage and . Interpretations of Daniels prophecies differ widely. Peter reminds us of Gods patience, but His patience has a determined end. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. In a similar way, Belshazzar becomes blasphemous and is suddenly removed by God for his wickedness. In the Psalms and also in Daniel 7, the expression Son of Man begins to take on a more technical meaning, referring to the Messiah, who will sit on the throne of His father, David, to rule over men forever. The process of having a baby involves the pains of childbirth. With the commencement of Belshazzars co-regency may have come not only a rejection of the Jewish faith and worship, but a new wave of persecution directed toward it. History has shown this to be true in the past, and prophecy assures us that it will be true in the future. As the destruction of the last beast and the blaspheming horn came as a complete shock to them, so the Lords coming will catch unbelievers unprepared as well (24:27-39). Agreeing with God that they are sinners but believing that Jesus Christ death paid the penalty for their sin, that He was buried, and rose from the dead three days later triumphant over sin, Satan, and death forever. Even those portions which we believe have been fulfilled, students of prophecy differ about the way of their fulfillment. The day of judgment is still future and has not yet been fulfilled. 13 And he performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. Then, in Daniel 2, the Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream that only Daniel could interpret. The transfiguration of our Lord was but a foretaste of His coming glorious kingdom (16:28). Daniel 7 indicates in the clearest way that prior to the coming of the kingdom of God the saints will suffer at the hand of the final horn and even be overpowered by him. For this reason, I wish to clearly state the foundational presuppositions and principles on which this exposition of Daniel is based. What so upset Daniel about the future? This morning we are going to go back to Daniel 7 and look at the rest of the chapter where Daniel has the dream interpreted. If a man cannot remember the dream he saw (it means): his (personal) god is angry with him. 2 Daniel said, I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. I have heard a number of attempts to explain the gaps in Old Testament prophecy. 31-35). 75 Everything in chapter 7 is on a world-wide scale, the empires of the beasts, the judgment, and the nations that worship and serve the one like mortal man. But here in chapter 7, as in Psalm 80:17, the son of man is more than just a man, He is the Messiah. When God granted Daniel the wisdom to interpret the king's dream, it launched Daniel's long career as a political leader, trusted adviser, and well-known prophet. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 4 and they worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him? 5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. In my opinion, the most dramatic reference of our Lord to His identity as the Son of Man comes as the Lord Jesus stands on trial before the Sanhedrin and the high priest: 59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death; 60 and they did not find it, even though many false witnesses came forward. Our study of this chapter will isolate what troubled Daniel about the future. 18 But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. 19 Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts, and which was larger in appearance than its associates. Nebuchadnezzar's Threat One night, Nebuchadnezzar awoke frightened by a dream. Salvation is likewise a process involving sufferingand then glory. The fact that wicked men will prosper and prevail and that the righteous will suffer is hardly pleasant news. While God tells neither Daniel nor us that this beast represents Nebuchadnezzar, He does reveal that the head of gold in the vision of the great statue was Nebuchadnezzar (2:36-38). Daniel went at once and obtained royal permission for more time, so that he could tell the king what the dream meant. The other prophecies were revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar and interpreted by Daniel. His thoughts alarm him, and his face pales. When the court sits for judgment, his dominion is taken from him and he is destroyed forever. The wicked will prosper and appear to get away with their opposition toward God and His saints. JPS Tanakh 1917 I encourage you to compare the statements of Daniel 2:21-22, 44, 47; 4:3, 34-35, 37; 6:26 with the content and declarations of Daniel 7. I believe some in Babylon, like their king, came to a genuine faith in God. Yet, his emotional response was valid and changed little after the vision was explained more fully. This is describing an event that has never happened in the history of the world and is yet future. It is at this time that all human kingdoms will become subject to God and to the saints in the eternal kingdom, which the Son of Man will establish when He comes to the earth to judge and to rule. Prophecy speaks not only of the joys and glories of Gods kingdom to come but of the suffering and tribulation preceding the eternal blessings of the kingdom of God. The prophecy of this chapter is divinely interpreted. (7) Who is the Ancient of Days? It would be but a very few years until Cyrus would come to power and assist the Jews to return to Jerusalem and the land of Israel. The precise meaning of the symbols of the raised side and the three ribs is illusive. In his vision, Daniel observed the sea being stirred up into a raging storm by the four winds of heaven. This signifies that the events which follow have been ordained by God. The nation of Israel has been set aside by divine discipline in the present times of the Gentiles, which began with Nebuchadnezzar. Dan 2:1-4 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. (10) What effect did the vision have on Daniel, and why? The only human things mentioned of the fourth beast are his eyes and his mouth. This angel, beginning in the second half of verse 23 is describing the revived Roman empire which is yet future. Twice in chapter 7 Daniel speaks of his distress: As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me (verse 15). It was said ( ch. - Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. Chapter 7 moves from the historical accounts of Daniel and his three friends to the prophetic revelations received by Daniel in the last half of the Book.76 The following chart may help us visualize the relationship of Daniels prophecies to the historical setting in which they were revealed: The first prophetic revelation is found in Daniel 2. Daniel, a godly prophet and a man of unshakable faith, has been steadfast in his daily walk of fellowship with God throughout the first six chapters of the Book of Daniel. Gods plan and program are carried out on His schedule, not ours (see 2 Peter 2:8-10). Daniels dream here in chapter 7 and Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter 2 are one and the same dream with additional details added to Daniels dream. They surely knew this text to be messianic, but they had always applied it to the Gentiles. Those who populate the earth after the tribulation will give their allegiance to Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. I did not include the insert today because I have already included it several times. Je. Lets pray and ask God to teach us and guide us as we look at His prophetic word. The head of the statue was made of gold, the chest and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of bronze, and the legs and feet of iron and clay. (2) While the timing of the fulfillment of divine prophecy may seem remote to the recipient, it still has relevance for him. Different from the first three, this beast seems uglier, more powerful, and much more hostile toward God and His saints. Some people have a rather irreverent attitude toward prophecy, they approach it as a pastime and they delight in figuring out complex date schemes and drawing detailed diagrams of the future. How was the fourth beast different from the first three? 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. This little horn is more intelligent and more arrogant than the other horns. If we go back to Daniel 2 and look at the statue in Nebuchadnezzars dream, we find that it too represented four kings and their kingdoms. We dare not ignore that which is revealed nor do we dare go too far afield in speculating about what is concealed (see Deuteronomy 29:29; 1 Timothy 1:4; 2 Timothy 2:23). La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, [6]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. God may choose to delay judgment on the wicked until their sin reaches full bloom; the possession of the land of Canaan would not happen in Abrahams lifetime, but more than 400 years later after the suffering of the people of God (see Genesis 15:12-17). While conservative, evangelical scholars believe the prophecies in Daniel are true, their interpretations differ greatly. (2) The prophecies of Daniel must be understood in relationship to and in light of the other prophecies of Daniel. The wrenching off of the wings and the transformation of the lion, making him stand on two legs and giving him the mind of a man was a picture of God humbling Nebuchadnezzar and then restoring him to his right mind, you can read about this in Daniel 4. How easily we turn from what is revealed to speculate about what has been concealed (see Deuteronomy 29:29). Things are not as they appear to be! Both the statue parts (made of different metals) and the beasts represent kings and kingdoms. The three ribs in the bears mouth between its teeth most likely represent Babylon, Egypt, and Lydia, three empires conquered by the Medo-Persian empire. While most prophecies in the Bible reveal events which will take place after the death of the recipient of the prophecy, the prophecy is revealed for impact upon those to whom it was revealed. If you remember from two weeks ago the bear was raised up on one side, this was to indicate that one part of this united kingdom overshadowed the other portion. 13 I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.77 14 And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language Might serve Him. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, [3]Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Each beast has its own unique characteristics. So the king spoke, and said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you." (6) None of the kings or the kingdoms are identified. 11 Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. The angel says the Antichrist will seek to make alterations in times and in law. The three ribs may also represent the kingdoms of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon which preceded the Medo-Persian empire and then fell to them. Since the head of gold seems to describe the same king and kingdom as the first beast, it may not be too far afield to conclude that Nebuchadnezzar is the king represented by the first beast. So, this phrase refers to 3 years. He questioned His disciples so that they could confess that He, the Son of Man, was the Messiah (16:13f.). 21 I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. 25 And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. The saints should expect to suffer because of their faith, especially as the last days for the kingdoms of men draw near. Our deliverance from the power of sin and the penalty of death has been accomplished by our Lord, who suffered in our place. Editing allows an author to set aside details which are not significant and focus on the essence of the message he is trying to communicate. Verse 17. 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