Important things to understand and consider about the world's kingdoms and God's kingdom
Date 25 11 01 Text Daniel 7 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church
I first studied the Book of Daniel when I was a young teenager. One of the problems I noticed with it then was that although the first six chapters are fairly straightforward, the next six are much more difficult to follow. That is because whereas the first six chapters are all about Daniel and his friends and what happened to them in far away Babylon, the second six mostly feature a series of visions that are quite difficult to follow in some places and often hard to understand.
Rather than keeping all that material to the end I thought I would follow the lead of my father-in-law Geoff Thomas who has a little book called Daniel – Servant of God under four kings. What he does is to group the material from Daniel in respect to the four different kings who were reigning when the visions or events occurred. The first four chapters of Daniel relate events that all took place during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. When we come to Chapter 5 we find that a new king is in the palace – Belshazzar. We know from elsewhere that Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus who was the king who succeeded Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar reigned c 605-562 and Nabonidus 556-539, the last 6 years involving a co-regency. For the last 10 years of his reign Nabonidus was away fighting in central Arabia. It would seem that Belshazzar, the crown prince, reigned in that period. Much of the power was with the Queen Mother who is mentioned in Daniel 5.
Daniel 5 is about the final hours of Belshazzar’s reign and the fall of Babylon. Chapter 7 begins 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. He wrote down the substance of his dream. Chronologically then Chapter 7 (and 8) comes before Chapter 5 and so we will look at it first.
Chapter 7 is the last chapter in Aramaic, the language of the Babylonians. The rest of the Book is in Hebrew. We do not know for sure but probably after this point in time the coming end of Babylon’s time of superiority was obvious to Daniel. Also despite his centrality during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel was very much marginalised by this time – a forgotten man. By the first year of Belshazzar, Daniel was in his early sixties. Perhaps he thought his life’s work was pretty much at an end but that was not the case. In earlier chapters we read of Daniel interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream but here it is Daniel himself who has a vision. Although it is similar in some ways to what we read in Chapter 2, it is markedly different and there is a good deal for us to learn from what Daniel wrote down of the substance of his dream. It is good from time to time to focus on the bigger picture like this. We were forced to do that on September 11 this year but memories of that are fading and as we approach Christmas, a rather self-centred and certainly a more home centred time of the year, it is good to remind ourselves of the big picture.
1. Understand and consider six important things about the kingdoms of this world
1. The kingdoms of this world are in a constant state of flux
When I was a student in Aberystwyth I lived right by the seaside. It was wonderful to look out on the that vast expanse and especially at night during the winter months to see the incredible storms that could sometimes brew up. The sea would throw huge rocks up so that most of the halls of residence would board up their fronts and use the back entrances for a few months. Of course, if you go far out to sea storms can be even worse. There is constant flux, constant change. Right at the beginning of his dream, Daniel tells us, that is what he saw. He was far from any sea at the time but he says (2) In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Imagine it. Now it is out of this sea that the beasts that are mentioned come and there is clearly a symbolism here. The sea points to the constant change, the turmoil that characterises the kingdoms or nations of this world. One rises, another falls; one is thrown done, another begins to surface. This way and that way there is constant shifting, incessant variation. Some of you remember when Britain had a great empire – all that is almost gone. You can remember when Germany and Italy were world powers, or potentially so at least. Some of us can remember when we spoke of two world powers – Russia as well as America. It isn’t so long ago that the Ottoman Empire came to an end and before that there have been other rises and falls. There is nothing fixed about the nations’ power. It comes and goes. The same thing can be said not only about political power but financial and economic power too. Only this week the third largest company in America collapsed. Even just in the last few years there have been any number of fluctuations and changes so that fortunes have been won and lost. There is only constant change. That is why it is foolish to put your trust in princes or in any worldly leader. Such power cannot last.
2. The kingdoms of this world are often brutal in their ways. Back in Chapter 2 we read of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a splendid statue representing the world’s succeeding empires, the same ones as are represented here. Here the imagery used is that of great beasts rather than magnificent statuary in precious metal. There the emphasis was on the fading glory of the world’s kingdoms. Here it is on their brutality, their harshness and animal menace. Empires and nations like to use beasts in their symbols and are often spoken of in such terms to this day – American Eagle, British Lion, Russian Bear, Chinese Dragon, etc. A book came out a few years ago on the re-emergence of fascism. It was called The beast re-awakens. The Bible does not suggest that there is nothing noble, nothing attractive about the kingdoms of this world but here (and again in Revelation 13) it uses this beast imagery to remind us that when such kingdoms get going they can be like huge almost unstoppable beasts with a life of their own.
3. Different kingdoms have differing characteristics. Daniel says that there were (3) Four great beasts, each different from the others, that came up out of the sea. He then describes them. We can be quite sure about which kingdoms he has in mind.
1 Babylon. (4) 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 man, and the heart of a man was given to it. If you go down to the British Museum you can see representations of winged lions from Babylon. They would have been a familiar sight to Daniel. The lion is king of beasts and the eagle of birds and so for the first superpower, which is what Babylon was, this is an appropriate image. Of course, we have read of the experiences of Nebuchadnezzar in Chapters 1-4 and the humanising process that went on in his own life no doubt came into play in the life of his empire too. This reminds us that humanising tendencies can begin to dominate in even the most pagan and atheistic empires.
2 Medo-Persia. In Daniel’s own life time Babylon was taken by the Persians and the Medes. They are represented second again. Verse 5 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! When we are thinking of rapacious and dangerous animals the bear probably comes to mind. The choice is appropriate here as the bear is a slower, more lumbering sort of creature. This empire was a combined one of Medes and Persians and so it is not surprising that a distinction is made - It was raised up on one of its sides, perhaps pointing to the difference between the Medes and the more aggressive Persians. There was a voraciousness about the Persian empire well pictured by the image of a bear with its mouth full being urged to eat its full. The humanising tendency of the Babylonian situation is not here. Humanising tendencies are not to be assumed then. Some empires never lose their desire for more and more conquests.
3 Greece. Verse 6 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. The amazingly swift series of conquests that Alexander the Great was able to accomplish are almost legendary. It was an amazing feat of skill and speed. The appropriateness of the leopard as a symbol of his swift success is obvious to anyone who knows the amazing story. The double pair of wings only adds to the vision of speed. The four heads point to the early splitting of the kingdom among Alexander’s generals. Four also points to the four points of the compass – a spreading out in every direction. Again, empires can grow up very swiftly. They may be divided up and yet spread far and wide. Each one is different.
4 Rome. Verse 7 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. Later, in verse 19, Daniel amplifies that the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying had not only iron teeth but also bronze claws - the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. Here is a beast that is quite different to the others. Daniel does not even know what to call it. It is more like a machine than a beast as such, crushing underfoot and devouring its victims with large iron teeth. This well epitomises the character of the Roman Empire. Then just as the legs of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue had 10 toes so here we read of ten horns on this beast. Verse 8 While I was thinking about the horns, says Daniel 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 man and a mouth that spoke boastfully. It is this fourth beast that Daniel most wants to know about when he asks later for an explanation of the vision. We too would like to know just what the 10 horns and the little horn stand for. For the moment, let us simply note that some evil regimes turn into indescribable monsters, half-beast half-machine in their fury.
4. As time goes on, the more evil the kingdoms of this world become. We have seen how these beasts get worse as we go along. What about these 10 horns on the last of them? In verses 24, 25 Daniel is told The 10 horns are 10 kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 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. This is not an easy passage but it is doubtful if the answer will be found by identifying the horns with particular individuals or nations. We are talking rather about a number of powers with their roots, in some sense, in the Roman Empire. From their own midst another leader will arise, subduing some of those other kings in the process. The fact that he will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints reminds us that the Bible speaks of Antichrist, the personification of opposition to Christ. Some identify the anti-Christ with the Pope and one can see how that make sense from this passage. I think that, as John suggests, it is more the spirit of antichrist that we need to be on the look out for because even if there is one final Antichrist at the every end of time, before then there will be many antichrists. Here he is said to be one who will be (verses 20 and 24, 25)
A proud subduer of those whoa re weaker. The horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
A blasphemer of God. He will speak against the Most High.
A persecutor of Christians. And oppress his saints
An interfering meddler with creation and law. And try to change the set times and the laws.
Thus wherever we see this sort of behaviour, we know we are facing antichrist. Many have blasphemed the name of the most high. The Roman emperors increasingly demanded to be worshiped as gods. Some of them were fierce persecutors, as others have been in more recent times. In the French Revolution, efforts were made to get rid of the seven day week and attempts to draft legislation contrary to God’s Word have been common in many regimes.
What this passage teaches us is that we will increasingly see such things in this world. Succeeding powers are progressively less humane; increasingly more rapacious; increasingly swift to advance its own interests; increasingly well ordered and machine like in its conduct. With this comes increasing blasphemy, persecution and high-handedness. It is important that we are aware of this process so that we are not taken by surprise. This is all foretold in the Scriptures.
5. The kingdoms of this world are often and increasingly active in persecuting believers.
It is the persecution of believers, no doubt, that particularly strikes Daniel and causes him to be troubled in spirit (15) and, as he says (28) deeply troubled by my thoughts, so that his face turned pale. In verse 21 he says how As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them. We live in a time and place that in some ways is more free of persecution than any other. There is till persecution, however. And wherever Antichrist or the spirit of antichrist is found, persecution follows. Again, this is something that we must be aware of and act accordingly.
6. However strong they may be, the kingdoms of this world will not last, for God will judge them
Despite Daniel’s concerns, the other thing that comes out here is the fact that this world’s kingdoms cannot continue unchecked. Daniel tells us (9) As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. This Ancient of days is, of course, God himself. Daniel describes him - 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. These words speak of holiness and purity, of blazing glory, wrath and unapproachable uniqueness. We are told (10) A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. Then we are told The court was seated, and the books were opened. It is the Day of Judgement. Daniel says (11, 12) 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.). Later on in verses 21, 22 we read that the war against the saints went on until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgement in favour of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. Always remember the judgement. No matter how strong a nation may grow, it will be judged in the end. There is no escape. There is no escape for anyone. Even before that great day God’s judgements come on nations that transgress his laws.
2. Understand and consider six important things about the kingdom of God
In the midst of all this information on the kingdoms of this world, it is clear that Daniel is being taught to focus his mind on the kingdom of God whose characteristics are also revealed here to some extent. This is the answer to the feelings of distress and anxiety that some of this material inevitably provokes.
1. God’s kingdom is ruled over by his own Son.
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. Quite rightly, the focus is on the Son of Man. Although at its most basic this merely means a human being, do note that this is one like a son of man and he comes with the clouds of heaven. It is a messianic title – the one that Jesus most used to refer to himself. So next comes not a beast but a man, and yet more than a man. No doubt Nebuchadnezzar and Darius and Alexander and the Caesars had admirable qualities as have other emperors, yet so often it is the beastly element that predominates. Certainly in men like Alexander, Genghis Khan, Ivan the Terrible, Napoleon, that is the element that stands out. How different the Saviour, the Prince over God’s own kingdom. He alone has the divine qualities that are altogether admirable. He alone is worthy to stand in the presence of the Ancient of Days. Worship him.
2. God’s kingdom is a universal kingdom.
In verse 14a we read that He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. The great kingdoms of this world are certainly marked by their conquering of other peoples but here is one who has power over all sorts of peoples and nations. The kingdom of God is a universal kingdom.
3. God’s kingdom is an eternal kingdom.
Verse 14b His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. How different to the passing kingdoms of this world. They cannot last, this one cannot fail. That is why we must enter this kingdom by being born again.
4. God’s kingdom is an eternal inheritance of the saints. 18 But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it for ever - yes, for ever and ever. What a wonderful word of encouragement for every believer.
5. The power of all the kingdoms of this world will eventually be handed over to God’s people. Verses 26, 27 But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed for ever. 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.
6. We have to pass through many troubles before the kingdom of God eventually comes.
We have to end on this sobering note. Verse 15 I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 28 This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself. Daniel’s silence is understandable in that he now knew that Babylon’s days were definitely numbered. His consternation is not a lack of faith but a sober realisation of the many troubles that have to be faced before glory and judgement. We ought to do the same. Nevertheless, if we can only see it, there is much to encourage here too, especially when so much more has now been fulfilled
