Word of Salvation – Vol.50 No.13 – April 2005
The Colour Picture Book of World History
Sermon by Rev J De Hoog on Daniel 7
Scripture Reading: Revelation 5
Suggested Hymns: BoW 155; 163; 527; 425
Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The second half of the book of Daniel is very different to the first half. The first half consists of stories, narratives. And they are some of the best-known stories in the Bible. We have Daniel and his friends refusing the king’s food, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego surviving the fiery furnace, Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity and change of heart, Belshazzar’s party and the writing on the wall, and Daniel in the lion’s den. They are powerful stories that demonstrate again and again that in the conflict between Babylon and Jerusalem, between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of man, that God is always in charge and always victorious. The first half of the book is “relatively easy” to understand.
But when you enter the second half of the book of Daniel, you enter a completely different world. It is a world of weird and horrific visions, with dramatic pictures of beasts and monsters and great destruction. What are we to make of these visions?
It seems to me that what we are meant to see is this: In the first six chapters the great conflict between God’s people and the pagan world is unfolded. Then in the second set of six chapters we are taken behind the scenes, and we are given a glimpse of the conflict that stands behind the troubles God’s people experience in this world. It’s as if the curtains of heaven are just opened up a little bit, so that we can see in, and so that we can understand something of the great conflict between Christ and the powers of darkness.
So, let’s look at chapter 7 today. Verse 1: “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed.” In chapter 7 we go back into the time of Belshazzar’s reign, back to a dream Daniel had then. In his dream, Daniel is being shown two things. First he is shown a panorama of world history – he is given a glimpse into the future. Second, he is given a vision of the person who is in charge of the future. This is the content of Daniel’s dream – pictures of the future, and a vision of the person who holds the future in his hands.
It’s important to realise that Daniel’s dream here has the same subject as the dream of Nebuchadnezzar recorded in chapter 2. Remember back to chapter 2? Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a massive statue made up of four layers – head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze and legs and feet of iron and clay. In his dream, Nebuchadnezzar sees a rock cut out of the mountainside, a rock that rolls down and pulverises the statue and turns it to dust which the wind blows away. The rock itself grows and eventually fills the whole earth.
Daniel gives the interpretation of this dream. In this dream given by the Lord, Nebuchadnezzar has been dreaming of the four great superpowers of the ancient world – Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome, and he has seen the kingdom of God crush these superpowers and eventually fill the whole earth.
Now Daniel dreams of the same subject. He gets a different picture, but the basic meaning of the dream is the same. It is about the superpowers of the ancient world, and how they are eventually crushed and defeated by the kingdom of God. This time the superpowers are not represented by layers of a statue, but rather by beasts of prey.
Even today, the superpowers are represented by beasts of prey, aren’t they? We speak of the American Eagle, the Russian Bear, the British Lion. I’m not sure what it says about Australia that we are represented by a kangaroo and an emu or New Zealand by a kiwi! But leaving that aside, Daniel sees the superpowers of the ancient world represented in this way.
The first beast was like a lion, with the wings of an eagle. This represents Babylon, the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar. It was given the heart of a man – this probably refers to Nebuchadnezzar’s change of heart towards God after his period of insanity. Thanks to God’s intervention, at least Babylon had a bit of a human face, it was not entirely bestial. Not so for the kingdoms that follow.
The second beast was like a bear with its mouth full of bones and dripping blood. This represents the kingdom of Persia, the kingdom of Cyrus and Darius, the kingdom that put Daniel in the lion’s den.
The third beast looked like a leopard, but it had the wings of a bird. The leopard is one of the swiftest and most graceful of the big cats. My encyclopaedia tells me that leopards are more dangerous to humans than lions and tigers, they are far more likely to attack humans. Now imagine a leopard with wings! What a destruction machine that would be!
The third beast, the leopard with wings, represents Greece, the kingdom of Alexander the Great. This kingdom rose and fell with lightning-like rapidity. Alexander was not yet in his thirties when he was found weeping that there were no more lands to conquer. He died at age 33 as the Emperor of the known world. And yet, Daniel says that even this empire was given authority to rule. Alexander did not rule on his own account, he was given that authority by God.
The fourth beast is the most terrible of all – Daniel can find nothing to compare it to; he can only describe its terrifying destructiveness as it chomps its enemies with its iron teeth and tramples and crushes everything that gets in its way. The fourth beast represents the Roman Empire.
This fourth beast grows ten horns, and the interpreter tells Daniel that these ten horns represent ten more kingdoms. Who are these ten kingdoms that followed the Roman Empire? We don’t know the details. But they represent human rule since the time of the Roman Empire. We are in the time of the ten horns now.
What Daniel sees here in this vision is a panoramic picture of the history of the world from his day on. It’s as if he is given a colour picture book of the future, or perhaps we should say an animated video cartoon of the days to come.
What do these kingdoms have in common? They are all human kingdoms. They arise from the great sea, says verse 3. The sea represents humanity – these kingdoms rise from the sea of humanity. And they are all destructive and horrific, one monster after another. Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Alexander, Nero and the other Roman Caesars, Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein – human history goes on throwing up such monsters. Where do they come from? >From the sea of humanity. They come from the same stock as you and me. They are expressions of human nature, human nature apart from God, leaders who shake their fist at God and seek to break the shackles of God’s rule.
What stirs them up, these leaders? Verse 2 says it is the action of God, the action of heaven. These kingdoms arise in opposition to heaven. The nearer God comes to us, the more stirred up, the more churned up we become in our sinful human nature.
Think of the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. When Jesus came there was an eruption of demonic activity and human opposition to God the like of which the world had never seen. Jesus brought out the very worst in the human heart.
He was God himself come in the flesh, and he stirred up hatred and envy and jealousy and pride. So much so that we crucified him. People like to stay with the spirit of Christmas, with the baby in the crib, with the sentiment and gush. But that’s totally unrealistic. There is nothing sentimental about Jesus and his coming. He came to establish his kingdom, and the natural human heart, with its sinful nature, hated him for it, and killed him for it.
You see, these nations, these kingdoms, these beasts of prey, are expressions of the human heart. Expressions of our hatred of God. That’s your heart and my heart unless God changes them. The kingdoms become more and more destructive, each successive picture is worse than the one before.
This is not the evolutionary development of the human race from savage to noble. Rather, here is a picture of the human race descending to the level of the beasts.
And then finally in Daniel’s picture book of human history there arises the little horn that is worst of all. This little horn is said in verse 8 to have eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth that speaks boastfully. Daniel sees the little horn waging war against God’s people and defeating them for a time. The little horn is described again in verse 25. “He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.”
Who is the little horn, who sets himself up against God himself, who even tries to change God’s set laws and who oppresses the saints and even defeats them for a time? In the New Testament he is called the Antichrist, the Man of Lawlessness. From the teaching of Daniel and various passages in the New Testament, it is clear that a time is coming at the end of this present age when it will seem that the people of God will not be able to stand against the Antichrist, and that for a little while he will become stronger and stronger. Jesus teaches us that God cuts these days short for the sake of the elect, otherwise they might perish also. There are dark days ahead.
Paul calls this little horn the Man of Lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2. Paul says that “he will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God”. Paul describes this figure as being held back for now, but at the end of the age he will be released and will wage war against God’s people. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2 that “the coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the power of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing.”
It is not clear whether this final Antichrist is a single person or a government that dominates the world or some other structure. But what is clear is that there are dark days ahead for God’s people. The little horn, the Antichrist, is still to come, and he will be the culmination of all evil, and will get his power from Satan.
It’s frightening, isn’t it?! And if this is all we had to say, we could all go home very depressed. Ah, but Daniel is shown something else!
[Pause…]
Verses 9-10: “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 Daniel sees the beast destroyed and its body thrown into the blazing fire. And then Daniel sees something else. Verse 13: “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 peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Imagine how encouraging this vision must have been for Daniel. Daniel dreamed this dream during Belshazzar’s reign. Nebuchadnezzar is already yesterday’s man. Paul Keating is yesterday’s man, John Howard is almost yesterday’s man, and one day Peter Costello will be as well. All of the rulers of this present age rise and fall. But the Ancient of Days is ruler forever; he is on his throne and nothing can conquer him. He is always there and always in charge.
Just think how Daniel must have loved this vision. The old song goes: “Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone.” We wonder how it is that Daniel was able to be so brave, to stand alone in so many circumstances, refusing to compromise. But Daniel sees thousands upon thousands attending God, ten thousand times ten thousand standing before him. Daniel is not alone! One person on earth together with God is a majority! Who is on the Lord’s side? Daniel is, and he knows that he is not alone, but that all glory and power belong to his side.
The Ancient of Days is on his throne, and his court is in session. The books are opened, and God’s enemies are judged. The beast, which represents human kingdoms rebelling against God, is defeated and thrown into the lake of fire.
And then Daniel sees something else. Verse 13: “There before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.” Another world kingdom is coming, another king is coming. But this time it’s not another beast, or monster, another kingdom that rails against God and puts itself in the place of God. No, this time it is God’s kingdom. Here is the superpower to eclipse all superpowers. And it has a human face – it is represented by one like a son of man. No longer mankind descended to the level of the beasts, but now the true, the perfect man.
In the gospels, this name “Son of Man” is used 84 times to identify Jesus. And nearly every time it is used in the gospels, it is on the lips of Jesus himself. It was Jesus’ favourite way of speaking about himself. He identifies himself as Daniel’s son of man!
Even at his trial before the Sanhedrin he identifies himself this way. Caiaphas the high priest has been mocking him and asking him to tell who he is. “Who are you Jesus? Come on, Jesus, tell us who you are!” Jesus replies, “‘I say to you all: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?’ ‘He is worthy of death,’ they answered'” (Mt 26:64-66). The high priest and Jesus’ enemies are in no doubt at all. By claiming to be the son of man of Daniel 7, Jesus is claiming to be God himself! It couldn’t be clearer. And for that, he must die.
What is Daniel seeing when he sees one like a son of man coming on the clouds of heaven and approaching the Ancient of Days and being given all authority and glory and sovereign power? I believe he is being given a behind the scenes glimpse of Jesus’ ascension. The disciples saw him taken up out of their sight and hidden by a cloud. Daniel sees through the clouds and sees Jesus take up his reign as the victorious ascended Lord of the universe. He has established the kingdom of God through his death and resurrection, and he now rules with perfect authority.
Yes, the little horn is still to come. There are still some very black times ahead for the people of God. The final Antichrist will come. He will rule the world and oppress God’s people as never before. But Jesus Christ has won the victory, he is at the right hand of God, and even the little horn, with all its power, will not be able to prevail against the church.
Listen to what will happen to that little horn. Daniel 7:25 ff – “He (the little horn) will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. But the court will sit and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.”
Surely these are some of the most amazing words in the Bible, aren’t they? Did you hear? Does it say, “Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms will be handed over to God”? No, it doesn’t say that. It says, “Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High!” Jesus Christ will be the great ruler in the kingdom of God, and we will rule with him!
One day, it will happen like this. Daniel gives us a glimpse of the future. Just as the Antichrist seems to be winning and taking charge of everything, Jesus Christ will return on the clouds of heaven. Paul says that when he comes he will overthrow the lawless one with the breath of his mouth. The Antichrist, the little horn, will just be blown away. Like the great statue of Chapter 2, which turned to dust and was just blown away. And all who belong to Jesus will go to be with him, and will rule with him forever.
Daniel 7 gives us this magnificent and marvellous panorama of world history. What do you think of it? Where do you stand in this picture of the future? Jesus Christ will reign, and every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Are you ready for that? Are you on the Lord’s side?
Amen.