Some of his alarm arose from his not yet having been given the interpretation of his vision. We have talked about several times since starting this series about how studying Bible prophecy should influence you. Daniel 2:1-13 - Nebuchadnezzar's Dream. At this time the kingdom of God is established. Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him. At this point the revelation ended. The other prophecies were revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar and interpreted by Daniel. The transfiguration of our Lord was but a foretaste of His coming glorious kingdom (16:28). Daniel explains that each of these metals represents a kingdom that would rule the world, and the stone is God . In the euphoria of this grand event, someone might well conclude the kingdom of God was to be established within the lifetime of those returning to Israel. It is good for us to understand the theology of the end-times, but we must approach it with reverence. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Remembering this avoids confusion. When the court sits for judgment, his dominion is taken from him and he is destroyed forever. As we move into the second half of Daniel 7 and begin to dissect Daniels dream with the help of Gods Word and the help of history past because some of this dream which was yet future for Daniel is past history for us. But in the end, God will judge the wicked and establish His kingdom for His saints. The saints should neither believe nor behave on the basis of how things appear to be (the wicked prospering and prevailing over the righteous). Daniel obtaining some respite finds the dream. Time: refers to one year, times is understood in Aramaic (the language this chapter was originally written in) to mean a dual or two, so times refers to two years and half a time refers to one half of a year. This is represented by the four heads on Daniels leopard beast. Encouraged to do so, it savagely devours. (19-26) Daniel explains the rise and coming fall of Nebuchadnezzar. (11) What is the point of the vision? Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him." It seems safe to assume the interpreter was an angelic being; at least this is the case in chapter 8 (8:15-26). In Daniels dream the Medo-Persian empire and it king Cyrus was represented by the bear. 7 And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. Our attention should be given to what is clearly and emphatically said. Before the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt and brought into the land of Canaan, they suffered at the hands of the Egyptians. Prophecy is revealed to men to change their perspective, to urge them to see things as God sees them rather than as they appear to the human eye. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. She makes it clear in a rather public fashion that she finds him desirable. Prophecy provides men the opportunity to think and act in a way which pleases God, who determines the future and who reveals future events to men. 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. When the child is born, the pains of suffering are quickly lost in the joys of seeing a new life. Daniel finds nothing to compare to it. 17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Specifically, the account of The Bad News at Belshazzars Banquet (not a bad title for that lesson) in chapter 5 was given to us so that we could better understand the prophecies of chapters 7 and 8. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. All nations of the earth will serve and live under the peaceful rule of the Son of Man and the people of Israel will receive their promised inheritance in the land of Israel, restored Israel. The timeline reads as follows: We know that Jesus came the first time to die and that He will come again to subdue His enemies and establish His kingdom. In those days, as in our own, there are always those are too quick to conclude that the kingdom of God has come (see Matthew 24:4, 6, 8, 24-28; 2 Thessalonians 2:1ff.). 3:15; Zc. This description certainly fits the account of Nebuchadnezzars plunge from power and sanity in chapter 4. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, Embedded video for Daniel's Dream Interpreted - Daniel 7:15-28. As the beast continues to boast, a second scene commences in Daniels vision, and for a period of time both scenes run simultaneously. Daniels first inner turmoil occurs in chapter 7. The identity of the kingdoms represented by the other body parts and metals was not revealed. Upon hearing the details of the dream, Daniel too was troubled (4:19). We do not act on what we see so much as on what God has said. A lawsuit could force the F.D.A. (3) What principles should guide and govern our attempt to interpret the prophecy of this chapter? The saints (believing Jews when Christ return to earth) will enjoy the kingdom, the fulfillment of Gods promise to Israel.[3] The Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary states that these saints might also include the resurrected Old Testament saints, the martyred tribulation saints, and the tribulation saints who survive the tribulation. During those days the revived Roman empire will be ruled by a confederation of ten kings as described by the ten toes of the statue of Daniel 2 and the ten horns of Daniels dream. Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. We should not spend a disproportionate amount of time and energy trying to fill in the blanks God has left. Thus he said: The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. The prophecy of Daniel 7 nevertheless had great relevance and application to those in Daniels day. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 78 Walvoord thinks this is the year 553 B.C., some 14 years before the fall of Babylon. What God says, He will do. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:1352, [4]LaHaye, Tim and Hindson, Ed., editors, The Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary. Consider the birth of a child, remembering that Gods deliverance and salvation is likened to birth. The gap is not the prophets problem; it is ours. 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. He distinguishes himself by his ability to overcome the whole earth, crushing it under foot. God is in no hurry to fulfill His promises, whether His promise of the eternal kingdom for all the saints or the promise of eternal destruction and judgment for sinners. The third beast is leopard-like, with four wings and four heads, and it is given dominion. Daniel uses the expression Son of man twice. He was chosen by God to speak to the Jews in Babylon and to show them God's future plans. When the iniquity of the blasphemous horn reaches full bloom and his appointed time to rule is fulfilled, God will destroy him, casting his body into the fire. The prophecy of Daniel 11 includes amazing details about great empires, political developments and end-time powers that would affect the Jews and all people today. He would, after His death, burial, and resurrection come in His glory, rewarding men according to their deeds (16:27). It is virtually the opposite of the term beast. The expression, Son of man, is not new to Daniel. (5) Prophecy is not written as hype but revealed to produce the hope of glory and endurance in present tribulation. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints (Revelation 13:1-10). We are told the Old Testament prophet could not see the distance between the first and the second coming of our Lord, just as one cannot see the distance between two mountains, when viewed from afar. Daniel 2:1). A night vision is given to king Nebuchadnezzar, apparently early in his reign as king of Babylon. No wonder this vision causes Daniel such distress. They surely knew this text to be messianic, but they had always applied it to the Gentiles. 15 And there was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast might even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed (Revelation 13:4, 11-15). In the latter days, before the kingdom of God is established on the earth, kings and kingdoms will become worse and worse. Our text challenges such a conclusion, and later prophecies in Daniel further document that the coming of the King and of the kingdom will be some time further in the future. God would strike him down in the moment of His choosing to silence him once and for all and put an end to his kingdom. What role do they play in relation to the four beasts? The other three are removed from power but allowed to live for some time after their removal (verse 12). God is eternal, and so is His plan for all creation. Daniel made it very clear that the dream and the interpretation had come for the one true God. a. Lets pray and ask God to teach us and guide us as we look at His prophetic word. This fourth beast seems to regenerate in the form of subsequent kings and kingdoms. Daniel urged them to pray for mercy from the God of heaven, . He wants to know more about this dreadful beast, different from the rest, especially in the destruction he wrought. Daniel 2 (the second chapter of the Book of Daniel) tells how Daniel related and interpreted a dream of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.In his night dream, the king saw a gigantic statue made of four metals, from its head of gold to its feet of mingled iron and clay; as he watched, a stone "not cut by human hands" destroyed the statue and became a mountain filling the whole world. In the second scene, heaven calmly prepares for court, which will determine that the time for judgment has come. (8) The four beasts are all different, with the last standing apart from the first three. Lion - Babylon. 10 A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, and the books were opened. If taken seriously, we will find the future sobering as well. In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's rule, he had a dream. 79 Compare Jeremiah 49:14-22, 28, where Nebuchadnezzar is compared to a lion and an eagle. While conservative, evangelical scholars believe the prophecies in Daniel are true, their interpretations differ greatly. Generally, it is agreed that this beast represents the Babylonian empire and king Nebuchadnezzar in particular. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. Please stand in honor of the reading of Gods Word and follow along as I read verses 15-28. He is more beastly in the beginning and more human in the end, paralleling the character of Nebuchadnezzar. This vision was an interactive vision, as Daniel was not only present in the vision but was able to approach one standing by to ask the meaning of what he saw. Each beast has its own unique characteristics. It was said ( ch. From Daniel 2:4b to the end of chapter 7, the original text was written in Aramaic (the language of Babylon in that day). 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time. I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. The horn continues to sound off while the court is being set up for judgment. Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 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. Daniel explained to the king that the statue represented four successive kingdoms based upon power and wealth, beginning with Babylon, while the stone and mountain signified a kingdom established by God that would never be destroyed nor given to other people. Prophecy is necessary then so that men are reassured of divine deliverance and blessing, as well as divine judgment (see 2 Peter 2:4-9). Jesus applied this text to them, not as those who would enter into His kingdom, but as those who would be judged at His return. This is consistent with God's propensity to use miracles to identify His messengers. Rome did conquer much of the known world, but it never conquered the whole world as this is describing. The final push of the times of the Gentiles will last for 3 years, then the end will come, the end of the times of the Gentiles., THE JUDGMENT AND THE FIFTH KINGDOM (Daniel 7:26-27). The blasphemous horn of Daniel 7, which goes so far as to oppose the people of God, is suddenly taken by death, and his kingdom is removed. (1) Why does Daniel indicate the historical setting of the vision he receives in chapter 7? As the saints suffer at the hands of the wicked, it may appear all hope is lost. As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. Belshazzars rise to power and ascent to the throne seems to have inaugurated a new age for Babylon. The distance in time of the fulfillment of Daniel 7 said something very important to the captive Jews of Daniels day. The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer (1 Peter 4:7). 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. Daniel boiled down his vision to its essence, so we would not fail to understand the message he meant to convey to us. 1. (7) No identification is made of the saints as Jews or Gentiles. There seems to be no Jewish nationalistic emphasis here, as there will be later.75. These are the things Daniel sees in the vision. May the Spirit of God reveal the meaning of this prophecy to us and produce in us that which God desires to His glory and our good. His disciples were promised that they would share in His reign as King (19:20). Prophecy becomes necessary from time to time to remind men of those things God has planned for the future which He will surely fulfill. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:1-8). History has shown this to be true in the past, and prophecy assures us that it will be true in the future. Public sentiment was turning against this foreign religion, and the Babylonians, including Belshazzar, wanted a return to their old time religion the pagan worship of the gods of Babylon. Until Gods eternal kingdom is established, kingdoms will progress from bad to worse. - Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. Those who populate the earth after the tribulation will give their allegiance to Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. Da Dn). 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. Chapter 9, on the other hand, has a historical account of Daniels study of Jeremiah and of his prayers of repentance and petition for Israels restoration and return to the land of promise. The ten horns, Daniel is told, represent ten kings who will emerge out of the fourth kingdom. 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. 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