When Jesus came, He embraced this expression as a designation for Himself, giving the term meaning vastly beyond that previously held by any Jew. 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. March 1, 2023, 6:00 a.m. She makes it clear in a rather public fashion that she finds him desirable. (6) How important is it for us to identity the kings and the kingdoms mentioned in our text? Daniel was an intelligent young Jew living in Jerusalem during the late 600s B.C. Old Babylonian Omen Text (VAT 7525) In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 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. 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. When that happens, Daniel goes for option #2 of those listed above: he asks one of the people in his dream to interpret what is happening for him ( Da 7:15-16 ). In the first use of this expression, being a son of man was contrasted with being God: God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? 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. Those who populate the earth after the tribulation will give their allegiance to Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. Other biblical prophecies bear on the prophecies of Daniel, particularly preceding or contemporary prophecies. The dream vortex dies with her, and Rose awakens with her brother, Jed, sleeping next to her. 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. As the boasting horn of Daniel 7 seems to be getting away with his blasphemies and his oppression of the saints, it seems to him he can do whatever he wishes, including the changing of times and law. When his appointed time is over, God will destroy this king and his kingdom and establish His eternal kingdom on the earth. Introduction to Daniel 11 The emphasis is positive. The precise meaning of the symbols of the raised side and the three ribs is illusive. They are far from pleasant but an unavoidable part of the process. (9) What is the relationship between Daniels vision in chapter 7 and the events described in Daniel 5? 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. The nation of Israel has been set aside by divine discipline in the present times of the Gentiles, which began with Nebuchadnezzar. As Daniel continues to watch, another horn emerges, as three of the other horns are plucked out by the roots to make room for it. What so upset Daniel about the future? These beasts, each different from the other, are described in verses 4-7. 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. What God determined to reveal to Daniel should be enough for us. Did Daniel interpret dreams? This description certainly fits the account of Nebuchadnezzars plunge from power and sanity in chapter 4. As we shall show later, the content of the prophecy of Daniel 7 is very closely related to the reign of Belshazzar. (3) This chapter contains the major segment of Daniel, which is primarily prophetic, although it does not contain the first prophecy in the Book of Daniel. It should be remembered that many narratives of scripture are related in a very condensed form, fuller details being added afterwards. He had lived through the overthrow of his people, his nation, and his hometown by a foreign power, he had been torn from his family and carried off into captivity. As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. The horn continues to sound off while the court is being set up for judgment. How easily we turn from what is revealed to speculate about what has been concealed (see Deuteronomy 29:29). Remembering this avoids confusion. The kingdom of God will be established and the saints will possess it forever. Yet Gods covenant to David (2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:14) stands and will ultimately be fulfilled. The three and a half years referred to here in Daniel is the last half of the tribulation, also called the Great Tribulation and the Time of Jacobs Trouble. 15 As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. 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). 5 And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him." - Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. 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 only human things mentioned of the fourth beast are his eyes and his mouth. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, [6]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:89, NASB95)[7] You have a responsibility because you know what the end will bring. (7) Who is the Ancient of Days? In Ezekiel, and even in Daniel (8:17), it is used in reference to a prophet. God will establish His kingdom, and that kingdom, unlike the kingdoms of men, is eternal. (4) This is the first prophecy in the book revealed directly to Daniel. We do not act on what we see so much as on what God has said. Daniel made it very clear that the dream and the interpretation had come for the one true God. The Son of Man had the power to forgive sins, as well as to heal a paralytic (Matthew 9:6). This fourth beast has the distinction of ten horns. In the second scene, heaven calmly prepares for court, which will determine that the time for judgment has come. In other words, this persecution of the saints will not go on unchecked but will be defined to a definite period of time. He would, after His death, burial, and resurrection come in His glory, rewarding men according to their deeds (16:27). I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them 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. 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. Are we supposed to discover their identity? So it was for our Lord (1 Peter 1:10-12), and so it will be for us. God grants this king success and his saints suffering, but only for an appointed time. 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). Prophecy is always practical and relevant to the person(s) receiving it. 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. Chapter 7 reveals in broad terms what the future holds. Arrogant, boastful, and even blasphemous kings will reign over the nations, opposing God and oppressing His saints. This is consistent with God's propensity to use miracles to identify His messengers. They believed that the Messiah would come to establish the kingdom, to bless the Jews and to condemn the Gentiles. No wonder this vision causes Daniel such distress. God also allows the wicked to persist and even to prosper, so that those whom He has chosen might be saved (Romans 9:22-24). As we consider what we have just learned from Daniels dream and as we look at Daniels response to his dream and the interpretation of it; this should indicate to us that the more we know about the future, the more our hearts should be moved to personal purity. When the child is born, the pains of suffering are quickly lost in the joys of seeing a new life. 1. 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. So they came and stood before the king. And they did! Daniel uses the expression Son of man twice. 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. The latter prophecy of Daniel 7 adds many more details than were revealed in chapter 2. It's build upon the passage in Daniel 7 where he has a disturbing dream. Prophecies are given so that we may look at history, especially events occurring in our own lifetime, from Gods perspective. 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. The implication here is that this is a repeated dream, one that is . Our Lords first coming happened over a period of more than 30 years, and yet we view this as one coming. 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. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:1352, [4]LaHaye, Tim and Hindson, Ed., editors, The Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary. Daniels first inner turmoil occurs in chapter 7. Children need to know that as believers, we are on the winning team and God wins in the end. 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. Lets pray and ask God to teach us and guide us as we look at His prophetic word. The vision comes to Daniel in Belshazzars first year.78 A subsequent and related vision comes to him in this kings third year (see 8:1). 77 According to Baldwin, This verse [13] has been the subject of more scholarly papers than any other in the book, so indicating its centrality, not only for Daniel but for the New Testament also. Baldwin, p. 142. (2) Chapters 7 and 8, while written in different languages, are written during the reign of Belshazzar and somehow linked by the author in Daniel 8:1. In the latter days, before the kingdom of God is established on the earth, kings and kingdoms will become worse and worse. 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). 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). 2 Peter 3:8-9, But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. Daniel went at once and obtained royal permission for more time, so that he could tell the king what the dream meant. (11) What is the point of the vision? See John F. Walvoord, Daniel: The Key to Prophetic Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 149. We have already seen this phrase time, times, and half a time in Revelation. Nebuchadnezzar may have started badly, but by the time we read of him in Daniel 4 he seems to be a true believer in God, urging the citizens of his kingdom to worship and serve Him. In his vision, the statue collapsed and disappeared, because a mysterious stone struck it at its feet. His vision in chapter 4 should have produced more distress than it did. The point of this prophecy is not to tell us who future kings will be, but rather what they will be like. (1) Daniel 7 is the last chapter written in Aramaic in the Book of Daniel. Editing is often evident in the Bible (see John 20:30-31; 31:25). Nevertheless, Daniel tells no one, keeping the matter to himself and suffering a quiet agony over the future events God has revealed to him. The prophecy of Daniel 7 nevertheless had great relevance and application to those in Daniels day. 12 and he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. The first time in Daniel 7:13, he is referring to Messiah, who will sit on the eternal throne of His father, David. Both sets of kingdoms are brought to a sudden end and are replaced by an eternal kingdom. 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. These were represented by the image of a statue. In the second year: It is difficult to understand the exact time this speaks of. By far, this first beast is the best of a bad bunch. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for them to have a child. 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. 17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 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. He could not figure out what the dream meant, so he wanted his advisors to explain it to him. He distinguishes himself by his ability to overcome the whole earth, crushing it under foot. Until Gods eternal kingdom is established, kingdoms will progress from bad to worse. 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. Encouraged to do so, it savagely devours. Where it has not caused distress, it should have. We have already seen time frame in Revelation referring to half of the seven-year tribulation. 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