Have you ever wondered what the future holds? In Daniel chapter 7, we discover a prophetic vision that not only unveils the ultimate destiny of the world, but also reveals the character of God and the hope we have in Christ. Join us this Sunday as we delve into this powerful chapter and learn how it applies to our lives today.
Next Steps
I want to start with a few comments before we get to Daniel 7.
We, human beings, love to make predictions about the future.
There’s something inside of us that can’t resist the temptation to forecast what’s going to happen tomorrow.
If you’re a basketball fan, you’ll probably try to predict the final four for the NCAA basketball tournament.
Investing legend, Warren Buffet, send his annual letter to investors this week, at a crucial time when interest rates have soared and recession fears are raging.
You may not remember anything else today except that you need to get your hands on Warren Buffet’s annual letter.
They have odds on which cardinal will become the next pope.
And we’ve seen him go from being a young man in exile to being with his friends and seeing them face the furnace.
We’ve seen Daniel challenge the faith of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar.
We’ve seen Daniel in the lion’s den.
But at the end of the Book of Daniel, God wants his people to know about the future.
And he gives a series of visions to Daniel.
And it often involves visions and images and symbols, which are frequently kind of strange to us.
But sometimes people are convinced that they have the details of this kind of literature all figured out.
So I want to look today at how we handle this passage.
And we’ll start by reading Daniel 7:1-14.
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.
Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.
And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’
After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful.
It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it.
This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.
He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Daniel 7:1-14
Alright, let me start with what I believe is a wrong approach to Scripture that happens far too often.
People look at the beasts and the images in this chapter, and they use them to play a kind of guessing game to see if we can match them up with some current organization or nation.
This way we can predict the end of time is coming in our day.
At one point in history, people thought the ten horns stood for ten kings in the Greek Empire.
Some people thought they stood for kings set up by Napoleon. They thought the Napoleon era would be the end of time.
Some thought the ten horns stood for NATO.
The problem with this approach is you can go around looking for any political organization with ten members and say, “There it is, the ten horns.”
I looked up Fresno. Do you know how many members are on the city council in Fresno?
Actually, I don’t know. I have no idea how many members are on there. But you see the problem.
And every time they do it and are wrong, and the world goes on, the gospel loses credibility with the watching world.
But I think this kind of speculation, guessing game kind of thing is the wrong approach.
I think in this kind of literature, we always have to start with the context. We always have to start by asking what does the writer intend his readers to understand?
In other words, Nebuchadnezzar, who was following God — which must have brought hope to the people of Israel — is now dead. And the people are living under a king who is quite twisted.
God’s people are in for a long time of suffering, and they’re going to be discouraged. They’re going to be tempted to give up the faith.
Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” We should just expect it.
That’s one of only two points I’m going to ask you to remember today.
It was meaningful in Daniel’s day and to each succeeding generation and to ours.
These images conveyed a destructiveness of human power when it’s used in defiance of God’s will.
And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth.
Daniel 7:5
Now this is an odd picture — a bear with three ribs between its teeth.
What does this mean? Is it like this bear didn’t floss? Did he have some kind of a dental problem?
The image here is a ravenous bear.
Violence leads to more violence. Hatred leads to more hatred. Killing leads to more killing.
I mean, look at history. Look at the holocaust of the Jews. Look at the genocide in Ethiopia. Look at the war in Syria or Ukraine. Look at the gang violence in Haiti.
In a more subtle and more sobering way, look at your own heart and see what happens when you hold on to resentment and hostility.
That’s the way evil works. It breeds and is never satisfied.
Often in Scripture, wings are used as a kind of picture or symbol of swiftness of motion.
Now we’ve seen this theme throughout the entire book of Daniel. The arrogance of Nebuchadnezzar, the pride of Belshazzar — the pride that goes before a fall.
We’ve talked about this theme a lot. And, of course, scheming and posturing and little horns with boastful mouths didn’t stop in Daniel’s day.
A private came into his office, and this new CO wanted to look like he knew what he was doing. He wanted to look impressive.
He picks up the phone and pretends he’s talking to the General. “Yes sir, General. You can count on me, sir. I’ll take care of it.”
Then he slams the phone down. “Yes, Private. What can I do for you?”
The private says, “I’m here to install your phone.”
And when it comes, they are not to be surprised or tempted to give up.
As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them.
Daniel 7:21
Now a key question is — when did this happen? And again, there are differing opinions.
Some Christians believe this refers strictly to an event that will take place in the future.
I believe this refers to something that was going on in Daniel’s day.
Remember Daniel had seen his people defeated in battle.
He had seen war waged against God’s people, against Israel, and they had been defeated. That wasn’t supposed to happen.
They were carried off into exile and that shook them to the core of their being. That shook their faith. And that needed to be addressed.
We’re not thrown in jail in this country. We’re not tortured for our faith. We’re not living in desperate poverty.
When we look at history, we need to understand that it’s not normal to live in the conditions in which you and I live in as God’s people.
We’re tempted to think that part of the gospel message is that circumstances and conditions are going to turn out well, and if they don’t someone messed up.
We’re tempted to think that if we face a serious problem with our health, or with a job, or if a relationship goes south, or if we don’t have the possessions that we want — we’re tempted to have our faith all shaken up and wonder if God is not keeping his end of the bargain.
So I believe we need to hear these words — there is trouble.
And it’s not primarily trouble that involves physical suffering, though it can be.
It’s primarily an attack on our spiritual lives. It’s primarily an attempt to pry men and women away from God.
And I believe it went on in Daniel’s day, and it goes on today — it goes on in human hearts like yours and mine.
And it will happen again in the future. It will.
There is trouble. Expect serious problems. Don’t be surprised… and don’t give up.
Announcement
Alright, there’s an abrupt change I want you to notice in Daniel 7, verse 9. Daniel goes on using symbol and imagery, to describe heavenly reality. Look at Daniel 7:9:
As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
Daniel 7:9
Using the imagery of this vision that he receives, he talks about God — the Ancient of Days.
For as long as people have walked the earth they’ve asked the question — What is God like? Who is he really?
And I want to walk through this and explain why it matters, because there are implications to who God is.
In verse 9 Daniel says:
Thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
Daniel 7:9
What’s happening in this moment when the Ancient of Days takes his seat on the throne?
This is not just about seating arrangements. Daniel is saying that God is going to set things right.
The day is going to come, and this sorry, fallen world where so many horrible things happen, and we read about them in the news every day, and we shake our heads, and we wonder, “Can they ever be redeemed? Will there ever be justice?”
Well one day there will. The Ancient of Days is going to take his seat. There is a throne, and it will be occupied.
God is going to set things right.
He had suffered deep pain from people in seats of power. He must have wondered, “Would justice ever be served?”
But another day is coming.
And there’s a very, very important implication to this.
The apostle Paul talks about this in Romans.
Daniel says, “Justice is coming one day. There is a throne. And there is one seated on the throne, and he is very wise. He is the Ancient of Days.”
This means that everyone who defies God is one day going to experience justice beyond our wildest ability to imagine.
Therefore, I am not to take justice into my own hands.
In Romans 12 Paul says:
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
Romans 12:17-19
Justice is coming.
Maybe you’ve been treated very unfairly.
* Maybe it’s by someone who occupies a seat of power.
* Maybe it’s your boss.
* Maybe it’s someone in business.
* Maybe it’s someone with a lot of money that cheated you out of what belonged to you.
* Maybe a spouse hurt you deeply.
* Maybe a teacher or a person in authority wounded you.
And the thought that they’re going to get away with it eats you up, and you’ve been carrying a grudge against them, hoping for bad things to happen to them. It’s eating you up inside.
I want you to hear this — they’re going to face justice one day.
“And every person who has wounded, every person who has hated, every person who has defied my laws — all of those horrible and heinous things that bother us so deeply and we think, “They’re going to get away with it.”
We wonder when we read the news — will former dictators who oppressed nations really be brought to justice?
God says one day they will — a form of justice you can’t even imagine.
God says to his people, “Therefore, do not take revenge into your hands.”
Be reconciled if you can.
The Apostle Paul said:
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Romans 12:18
Obviously we’re to work for justice on this earth. But we need to guard ourselves from a bitter, revengeful spirit.
You and I cannot handle that. We cannot take ultimate justice into our hands.
His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool.
Daniel 7:9
Now this is a picture of purity. This is a common image in Scripture.
Isaiah says:
Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
Isaiah 1:18
* This God is perfectly holy.
* This God is utterly pure.
* This God is infinitely good.
Through all eternity, God is a person who has never done a thing, never spoken a word, never entertained a thought that was anything less than noble and honorable and true and beautiful and good.
That’s all he has ever been or known or done. How could you not love a God like that?
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Matthew 5:8
1 John 3:3 says:
All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
1 John 3:3
* Maybe this involves your finances. Maybe you’ve been involved in financial practices, and you know they’re wrong. You know something needs to get set right.
* Maybe it’s about truth telling. Maybe you’re living in deceit, and you know you are. You haven’t done anything about it because you’re not willing to face the pain.
Well I’m asking you today to face the pain.
* Maybe this involves problems in the area of sexuality.
* Maybe there’s cynicism in your spirit, and you’ve just been letting it go unchecked for a long time.
* Maybe there’s kind of a judgmental heart inside of you.
“Everyone who has this hope purifies himself,” John says.
Then Daniel talks about another aspect of God.
His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him.
Daniel 7:9-10
Fire is an image in Scripture of God’s power — the burning bush that was not consumed, the pillar of fire that delivered the Israelites from Pharaoh, the fire from heaven that was called down by Elijah and consumed the altar and defeated the prophets of Baal.
This is just power from God.
for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 12:29
He is an awesomely powerful God.
Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.
Daniel 7:11
Now here is this great beast. Daniel says it has large iron teeth and ten horns in verse seven. It’s terrifying and frightening and very powerful.
And we might expect that there’s going to be this giant, knock down battle between this horrible, terrifying beast and God.
That’s the way it would be in a movie. That’s the way a lot of people think about this business of spiritual warfare.
But notice what happens in verse 11. Here is this very frightening, very powerful beast, and Daniel looks at it.
I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed.
Daniel 7:11
All of a sudden God just snaps his fingers and it’s no contest.
You see, our God is an infinite God. His power is not challenged by any force in the universe.
God allows the spiritual struggle in this world to go on because his desire is that people should freely choose to turn to him.
This is exactly why Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:9:
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
We live in the day of God’s patience, and so this fallen world goes on. But don’t be fooled. Once he decides that the struggle is over, once he decides that the opportunity for decision is done and the time for judgment has come, he is not going to need a long time and lots of fire power to win that final battle.
It’s not like God is going to have to really rev up a lot of octane to try to finish this deal off. It’s not going to be a long struggle.
Satan himself could not exist a second if it were not for the sustaining power of God.
All God has to do is just stop thinking of him, just stop sustaining him. And any being in this universe is done.
Then Daniel says:
In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.
Daniel 7:13
You know who that is?
If those words sound familiar, it’s because they’re the ones quoted by Jesus in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 to tell what would happen at the end of the age.
This is where Jesus got that phrase “the son of man” that he chose to use primarily to describe himself.
When he was a young man he had such hopes and such dreams, and nothing turned out right for him.
* His country was defeated in battle.
* He was carried off into exile.
* He would never be home.
* He would never be able to worship in the temple.
* He would not be able to be with his people or look on the land that he loved.
* So far as we know, he never got married, never had children.
But in this strange, faraway, hostile place, what an adventure he had with God!
What amazing experiences of God’s power. What horribly frightening moments. What long periods of being discarded by those in power.
But even this amazing life he lived is not his ultimate vision. It’s not about his life.
Daniel’s hope was not about his life or his strength or his cleverness or his spiritual firepower — and neither is yours.
Daniel’s ultimate vision is what will take place one day.
Listen to these words.
In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.
He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Daniel 7:13-14
Daniel had this vision, but he never knew the son of man — Jesus of Nazareth who came one day in humility and walked this dusty earth and died on a cross and was raised from a tomb to be the hope for you and me.
But we know him.
And I’ll tell you what your one and only hope is.
Maybe you’re confused.
Maybe you’re at the top of your game and things are going great.
Maybe you feel guilty. Or weak. Or inadequate.
It doesn’t really matter — for the Jesus who was crucified and raised again is coming back. He will return.
We don’t know when, but this is his promise to you and to me.
* This is his promise to his followers who go through life in abundance and see their families do well and prosper and die at an old age.
* This is his promise to young men who get thrown into the furnace and thrown into lion’s dens.
* This is his promise to all who struggle and suffer but persevere. —
One day he will return, and we will see him, and he will receive authority and glory and sovereign power.
And on that day, thousands and thousands and tens of thousands and tens of thousands will gather around and will worship him.
So lets pray and then Michaela will lead us.
Blue Oaks Church
Pleasanton, CA
