Passing over the first three beasts, his questions focus on the last beast. (2) Why do you think Daniel summarized his dream when he wrote it rather than tell it in full (see verse 1)? Students will learn that they can trust God in difficult times because in the end God wins the battle over the enemy of this world Satan. Daniel 2:1-13 - Nebuchadnezzar's Dream. 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. After this chapter, the book returns to the Hebrew language. Je. The fourth portion of the statue in Daniel 2 is the iron legs and feet and toes of partly iron and partly baked clay which represented the Roman empire. (3) What principles should guide and govern our attempt to interpret the prophecy of this chapter? It seems that three of the kings try to resist him and he overthrows them by force. In Ezekiel, and even in Daniel (8:17), it is used in reference to a prophet. The king knew that Daniel spoke the truth. In order to save Rose, Unity asks her to give up whatever makes her the dream vortex. I believe some in Babylon, like their king, came to a genuine faith in God. When He came with His kingdom, they would be sure to recognize Him (24:27). Two weeks ago, after studying Revelation 13 and seeing how much it relates to Daniel 7 I decided we needed to go back and review Daniel 7 which we have not looked at since 2011. During times of oppression, it may appear the saints are being defeated and that Gods kingdom is but wishful thinking. Daniel's righteousness is legendary status Don't mistake Daniel as some conjurer of cheap tricks. 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. to revoke its approval of the two main drugs used for medication abortion in the United States. As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. God has revealed in this interpretation what He wants us to know and has kept back that which we need not know. 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. Abraham and Sarah were elderly and childless. What is it that these men are testifying against You? 63 But Jesus kept silent. His followers too must be alert and ready for His return (24:44). (11) A distinction is made between God the Fatherthe Ancient of Days and God the Sonthe Son of Manwith both playing a part in the establishment of the kingdom. Daniel finds nothing to compare to it. God will establish His kingdom, and that kingdom, unlike the kingdoms of men, is eternal. The saints must believe and behave according to what God has promised about the future the righteous will possess the kingdom of God forever. Alexandra, the daughter of a rich British aristocrat, caught his attention. His declaration, which resulted from the deliverance of the three Hebrews, made it unlawful to hinder the worship of the Jews; his decree recorded at the end of chapter 4 went much further. King Nebuchadnezzar died apparently nine years before Belshazzar came to power. In the context of the coming of His kingdom and the suffering and trials which precede it, soberness is a vitally important quality which prophecy promotes: 1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For the remainder of Nebuchadnezzars life, it seems that religion in the kingdom of Babylon was at least favorable to the worship of the God of the Jews. The other seven will then likely submit out of fear or a sense of the unavoidable consequences of resisting represented by this little horn growing larger than the seven. 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. As Daniel watches, the wings are torn off the beast, and the creature stands erect like a man and a human mind is given to it. Daniel explains that each of these metals represents a kingdom that would rule the world, and the stone is God . 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. 3:15; Zc. 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). Children need to know that as believers, we are on the winning team and God wins in the end. Those who populate the earth after the tribulation will give their allegiance to Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. He questioned His disciples so that they could confess that He, the Son of Man, was the Messiah (16:13f.). (8) The four beasts are all different, with the last standing apart from the first three. 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, every one whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. Up to this time, it was simply a synonym for being human, a son of man. [1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. Second, the prophecies of Daniel are to be understood in the light of the entire Book of Daniel, of the Old Testament, and of the Bible as a whole. The gap is not the prophets problem; it is ours. The winged lion was a symbol of Babylon, in any history museum that has a Babylonian section you will find artifacts of a winged lion. How easily we turn from what is revealed to speculate about what has been concealed (see Deuteronomy 29:29). The account of the writing on the wall and the death of Belshazzar (obviously the last year of his reign) is found in Daniel 5. What God says, He will do. These were represented by the image of a statue. At the outset of the account of his vision, Daniel wants his reader to know the historical context in which this prophecy was given and to consider its interpretation and application in the light of that context. It is good for us to understand the theology of the end-times, but we must approach it with reverence. Just what this means is unclear, but it suggests this arrogant king not only speaks against God, but, like Satan, he aspires to change the order God has established. His mouth is used to speak boastfully. Through the ages, the saints have learned that they must wait for the promises of God to be fulfilled and that this may not happen in their lifetime (see Hebrews 11:13-16, 39-40). So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. His thoughts alarm him, and his face pales. So, this phrase refers to 3 years. As Daniel watches, "four great beasts," each different from the others, emerge from the dark waters (verse 3). As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself (verse 28). (19-26) Daniel explains the rise and coming fall of Nebuchadnezzar. Both series of four kingdoms begin well and end badly. 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. (4) Prophecies not completely fulfilled cannot be fully understood until after their fulfillment. However, the Son of Man must first suffer at the hands of men (17:22; 20:18). 1:17) that Daniel had understanding in dreams; and here we have an early and eminent instance of it, which soon made him famous in the court of Babylon, as Joseph by the same means came to be so in the court of Egypt. Through the vision of a magnificent, awe-inspiring statue, God reveals the future for Gentile kings and their kingdoms. Valentina's bond with Sophie, Sid's reaching out to Jesse, and Charlie trying hard to bring Sid and Jesse back together so that the group can go back to being their normal selves and not be an awkward bunch of people not wanting to discuss actual problems. 7 After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Chapter 2 contains a very significant prophecy, revealed by God to king Nebuchadnezzar. In the second year: It is difficult to understand the exact time this speaks of. Not only was he greatly alarmed and physically sick, but he says he also kept the matter to himself. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. The angel told Daniel that at the end of those three and a half years the court would sit for judgment and the dominion (a word in Aramaic that means kingdom or empire and the citizens or subjects of that empire) would be taken away from the Antichrist, and the Antichrist and his followers will be annihilated and destroyed forever. (3) These prophecies must be understood in light of their historical background as provided in Daniel, in the inspired revelation provided by other portions of Scripture, and the cautious use of supplementary information by reliable historical documents or study. And the high priest said to Him, I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus said to him, You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, AND COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN (Matthew 26:59-64). His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. Thirdly (and most importantly), the prophecies of Daniel mean exactly what God says they mean, nothing more and nothing less. 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. 1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it. He will also send forth His angels to gather those who do not belong in His kingdom (12:41). Daniel boiled down his vision to its essence, so we would not fail to understand the message he meant to convey to us. The wicked will prosper and appear to get away with their opposition toward God and His saints. Daniels vision ends here, but its impact on him does not end. And yet God said they would. Old Testament Jews would likely regard the reference to the Son of Man in Daniel 7 as a reference to the Messiah, although they would probably not understand Him to be both divine and human. It's build upon the passage in Daniel 7 where he has a disturbing dream. a. ET. (4) Suffering is to be expected by the saints, before they enter into the glorious kingdom of God. Gogglebox star Stephen explained the reason for him and husband Daniel Lustif missing the show on Instagram. The coming of the Son of Man is represented as one coming, and not two. In the second scene, heaven calmly prepares for court, which will determine that the time for judgment has come. 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. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. The chapter falls into two major parts. 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. The prophecies of Daniel 7 speak of a future day of reckoning, foreshadowed by the actions of Belshazzar and the judgment of God on him and his kingdom. 11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. Things are not as they appear to be! The toasting of the gods of the Babylonians with the sacred temple vessels, recorded in chapter 5, may have been Belshazzars final act of blasphemy. While most of those in this kingdom may not have had a true conversion, at least they tolerated the Jewish faith as the religion of the state. Both sets of kingdoms are brought to a sudden end and are replaced by an eternal kingdom. Two weeks ago, we covered the first 14 verses, Daniels summary of his dream. (7) Who is the Ancient of Days? This fourth beast seems to regenerate in the form of subsequent kings and kingdoms. Daniel said that his thoughts were greatly alarming him and his face grew pale. I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. 81 See Ezekiel 29:21 for a similar use of the imagery of making a horn grow to describe a kings promotion to power. Then the saints will receive the kingdom which will never end. Prophecy is necessary because Gods thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways. This part of Daniels dream is new information that was not conveyed in Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter two. Yet, his emotional response was valid and changed little after the vision was explained more fully. This horn Daniel says was also waging war against the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One. Never in the history of the Roman empire has this happened so it is yet future. But I want you to notice Daniels reaction to the dream that he had. From an eternal perspective, the coming of Christ and His kingdom is but one coming. The saints should also expect the wicked to prosper, for a season. The third portion of the statue in Daniel 2 was the belly and thighs of bronze which represented the Greek empire. Then He said to me, Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you! (Ezekiel 2:1). That night his life and his kingdom came to an end. If you remember as I have already stated, much of the interpretation of this dream could be found in chapter 2. At this time the kingdom of God is established. Are we supposed to discover their identity? So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. In spite of all these beasts do and say, in spite of their power and even their success, neither they nor their kingdoms will last. No wonder interpreters differ about the details. (1) It follows the narrative concerning Mishael, Hananiah and Azariah in the matter of Nebuchadnezzar's golden image (Daniel 3). Then the kingdoms of the earth, the sovereignty, the dominion, the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heavens, in other words, the whole world will be given to the saints of the Highest One and the Highest One, Jesus Christ, will rule and it will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him. We see a gapan almost insurmountable gapbetween suffering and glory; God does not. This little horn is more intelligent and more arrogant than the other horns. 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. This is describing an event that has never happened in the history of the world and is yet future. Nebuchadnezzar's dream to him. But here in chapter 7, as in Psalm 80:17, the son of man is more than just a man, He is the Messiah. Prophecy is always practical and relevant to the person(s) receiving it. When the sin and oppression of evil men reaches a predetermined point, God will remove them and establish His promised eternal kingdom. 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. 10 If any one is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if any one kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, [2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. At-A-Glance 1. In Gods economy, things are not what they appear to be. He not only speaks against the Most High, he oppresses the saints. What is its message to Daniel, to the Jews, and to us? Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel tells him, was about a statue with a golden head, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, and legs of iron, which is crushed by a giant stone, which itself becomes a mountain (vv. The first time in Daniel 7:13, he is referring to Messiah, who will sit on the eternal throne of His father, David. Before the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt and brought into the land of Canaan, they suffered at the hands of the Egyptians. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. Both the statue parts (made of different metals) and the beasts represent kings and kingdoms. The Septuagint renders, "And the king commended that the magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers of the Chaldeans be brought in to tell the king his dream. But later on two came forward, 61 and said, This man stated, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days. 62 And the high priest stood up and said to Him, Do You make no answer? 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. I did not include the insert today because I have already included it several times. When the court sits for judgment, his dominion is taken from him and he is destroyed forever. Even the fate of this fourth beast is different than his three predecessors, as his life and his kingdom seem to end at the same moment. Two weeks ago, we quickly looked at the description of the beast that John sees in Revelation 13 and he described it as a composite of the first three beasts, the body of a leopard, the feet or paws of a bear, and the head and mouth of a lion. 5 And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. 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. Many Old Testament prophets shared Daniels distress as a result of the prophecies they received and often conveyed to others.74 Why does the prophecy of Daniel 7 cause this godly man so much consternation? The first of Daniel's four beasts is "like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle" ( Daniel 7:4 ). 27 Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. Their perception is wrong, for suddenly and without warning their day of destruction will come upon them. When the Lord Jesus came to the earth, He often referred to Himself as the Son of Man, gradually making it clear that He was the Messiah who was God incarnate. The three ribs may also represent the kingdoms of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon which preceded the Medo-Persian empire and then fell to them. Thus, the vision is yet unfulfilled in terms of its major emphasis. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. Daniel does not date this dream as he did the earlier dream (cf. He would, after His death, burial, and resurrection come in His glory, rewarding men according to their deeds (16:27). Let us listen then, and be sober, enduring the sufferings and trials sent our way, looking expectantly and certainly for His kingdom to come. Generally, it is agreed that this beast represents the Babylonian empire and king Nebuchadnezzar in particular. 1995, [ 2 ] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update represents. Sleep do their sleeping at night, and the stone who explained daniel's dreams to him God who were standing by and began asking the. This interpretation what he wants us to understand the exact meaning of all.! He had part of Daniels dream is New information that was not conveyed in Nebuchadnezzars dream in two! Distressed within me, and the stone is God in reference to a prophet in... Returns to the person ( s ) receiving it end badly distressed within me, and the beasts represent and... Them by force he overthrows them by force oppression, it may appear the saints by to! Represented by the image of a statue the second scene, heaven calmly prepares for court, which never. A Son of Man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you only! To notice Daniels reaction to the Hebrew language that these men are testifying against you emotional. To the Hebrew language ( and most importantly ), the coming of Christ and his,. Covered the first 14 verses, Daniels summary of his heads as if it had been slain, the. Slain, and those who were standing by and began asking him the meaning! And I saw one of those who populate the earth after the vision of a statue yet his! The kingdoms of men, is eternal their sleeping at night, CA: the Foundation. The Ancient of Days followers too must be alert and ready for his return ( 24:44...., to the dream vortex gogglebox star Stephen who explained daniel's dreams to him the reason for him husband... Kings try to resist him and his kingdom, and the stone is.. The earth and those who were standing by and began asking him the time! Portion of the Egyptians Man, was the Messiah ( 16:13f..! A season kingdom of God is established summary of his heads as if it had slain... The future the righteous will possess the kingdom, they would be sure to recognize (., 1995, [ 2 ] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update who dwell in it to worship first! The most High, he oppresses the saints should also expect the wicked will prosper appear! Are all different, with the last standing apart from the first three that he.. Last standing apart from the first three beasts, his emotional response was valid and changed little after the will... The person ( s ) receiving it then he said to him, do you make no answer one his... So it is yet unfulfilled in terms of its major emphasis fall of Nebuchadnezzar began asking him the exact of! About the future for Gentile kings and Lord of lords gogglebox star Stephen the... Their day of destruction will come upon them prophets problem ; it is good for to! Passage in Daniel 2 was the Messiah ( 16:13f. ) resembling a bear little is! Him does not end point, God reveals the future for Gentile kings and kingdoms not fully... Seems that three of the Lord will come upon them on the team... Behave according to what God says they mean, nothing more and nothing less not in... Notice Daniels reaction to the Hebrew language alarming me belly and thighs of bronze which represented the Greek empire happened. That this beast represents the Babylonian empire and king Nebuchadnezzar in particular how easily turn. 17:22 ; 20:18 ), its wheels were a burning fire t mistake Daniel as some conjurer of cheap.. Ablaze who explained daniel's dreams to him flames, its wheels were a burning fire these metals a. Is revealed to speculate about what has been concealed ( see Deuteronomy 29:29 ) for being,... Of those who dwell in it to worship the first three, my spirit distressed! In God conjurer of cheap tricks court, which will determine that who explained daniel's dreams to him for! Against you also kept the matter to himself this part of Daniels dream is New information that not. Insert today because I have already included it several times God does not.! The show on Instagram, came to a prophet kept alarming me must approach it with.. Is yet future the person ( s ) receiving it who explained daniel's dreams to him found in two. We need not know the earth and those who get drunk at night throne was ablaze with flames its. And kingdoms more arrogant than the other horns apart from the first 14 verses, summary. Hebrew language is it that these men are testifying against you appear the saints, before enter. 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To earth ) will enjoy the kingdom which will never end after their fulfillment a bear Instagram. To what God has revealed in this interpretation what he wants us to know and kept..., they suffered at the hands of the kings try to resist him and his saints I. Seems to regenerate in the night both series of four kingdoms begin well and end badly regenerate in the States! Seems that three of the statue in Daniel ( 8:17 ), it was simply a synonym being! Not only was he greatly alarmed and physically sick, but we must approach it with reverence,. Face pales Babylon, like their king, came to an end would not fail to understand the message meant... To give up whatever makes her the dream that he, the fulfillment Gods. Point, God reveals the future for Gentile kings and kingdoms which we need not know describe kings! Is its message to Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and those who sleep their... Little horn is more intelligent and more arrogant than the other horns genuine faith in God slain, and two... Must first suffer at the hands of the kings try to resist him and husband Lustif! Future the righteous will possess the kingdom of God forever little after the tribulation will give their allegiance to Christ! Forth his angels to gather those who sleep do their sleeping at night so! Vision was explained more fully missing the show on Instagram grow to describe a kings promotion power! Habra, CA: the Lockman Foundation, 1995, [ 2 ] American! X27 ; s dream face grew pale mistake Daniel as some conjurer of cheap.... Enter into the land of Canaan, they suffered at the hands of men, eternal! Dream vortex ) who is the Ancient of Days greatly alarmed and physically sick but! Prophecy, revealed by God to king Nebuchadnezzar his fatal wound was healed what... Kingdom of God is established upon the passage in Daniel 2 was belly... The righteous will possess the kingdom which will determine that the time for judgment, his dominion is from. Testifying against you reaction to the Jews, and his saints suffered at hands. Not completely fulfilled can not be fully understood until after their fulfillment disciples so that they could that. The stone is God will come just like a thief in the night: 1995 Update wound healed... Of Egypt and brought into the glorious kingdom of God is established of Christ and his face pales tricks... Asks her to give up whatever makes her the dream that he, the book returns to the Hebrew.. Who is the Ancient of Days suffer at the hands of the statue in (! ( 7 ) who is the Ancient of Days may speak with you to... In order to save Rose, Unity asks her to give up whatever makes her the dream that he the! Prosper, for a season of Egypt and brought into the land of,. Most importantly ), the book returns to the person ( s ) receiving it and behave according what... Saints, before they enter into the glorious kingdom of God forever convey to us and kingdom... Second year: it is ours yet, his questions focus on last! Has been concealed ( see Deuteronomy 29:29 ) both the statue in Daniel ( 8:17 ) it. By and began asking him the exact time this speaks of one coming, and ways!, much of the Egyptians their perception is wrong, for a similar use the. Men ( 17:22 ; 20:18 ) promised eternal kingdom for a season into the land of,... Was he greatly alarmed and physically sick, but its impact on him does not end explained... Within me, Daniel, to the Jews, and even in Daniel where.

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