Not only was he greatly alarmed and physically sick, but he says he also kept the matter to himself. Agreeing with God that they are sinners but believing that Jesus Christ death paid the penalty for their sin, that He was buried, and rose from the dead three days later triumphant over sin, Satan, and death forever. So King Nebuchadnezzar honored God's men. Our study of this chapter will isolate what troubled Daniel about the future. He will also send forth His angels to gather those who do not belong in His kingdom (12:41). Prophecy becomes necessary from time to time to remind men of those things God has planned for the future which He will surely fulfill. What God declares in prophecy, He reveals as well in history. 1. The words of verse 1 point to the relationship between the prophecy Daniel received and its historical setting and context. When that day comes for them, it is too late to repent. (9) What is the relationship between Daniels vision in chapter 7 and the events described in Daniel 5? 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. He gave Daniel a general summary of the dream, These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. Suffering and glory are a part of one work. Both sets of kingdoms are brought to a sudden end and are replaced by an eternal kingdom. The horn of the beast that made war against the saints was one of 10 kings who prevailed until the Ancient of days came and judged against him in favor of the saints. The beasts are hardly worthy of prose, but the court of heaven deserves a description of the finest words. Rose withdraws the power from her chest, which takes the form of a ruby heart that then cracks as Unity dies peacefully in her sleep. In a similar way, Belshazzar becomes blasphemous and is suddenly removed by God for his wickedness. This angel responded and gave Daniel understanding into his dream as he interpreted it for him. The expression is used in the Psalms in a more pregnant way, in reference to the coming Messiah. I have heard a number of attempts to explain the gaps in Old Testament prophecy. Lets pray and ask God to teach us and guide us as we look at His prophetic word. 5 And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. This little horn is more intelligent and more arrogant than the other horns. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so . 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 states, For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:910, NASB95)[6] Finally, the more we know about the future, the more our hearts should be moved to prayerful petition for those who will face the judgment of God if they do not turn in faith to Jesus Christ. He wants to know more about this dreadful beast, different from the rest, especially in the destruction he wrought. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints (Revelation 13:1-10). In chapter 2 we read that Nebuchadnezzar was troubled and terrified by his dream, we read here in verse 15 that Daniel was distressed in his spirit because he knew that God had just shown him a panorama of tremendous events yet future and Daniels distress was his lack of understanding his dream. Episode 5 of "How I Met Your Father" Season 2 tested the friendships of everyone in the group. Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, Upon the son of man whom Thou didst make strong for Thyself (Psalm 80:17). (19-26) Daniel explains the rise and coming fall of Nebuchadnezzar. The third beast is leopard-like, with four wings and four heads, and it is given dominion. Daniel made it very clear that the dream and the interpretation had come for the one true God. It not only bore witness to the conversion of this king, but encouraged all of the subjects of Babylonian rule to worship the God of Israel. He is more beastly in the beginning and more human in the end, paralleling the character of Nebuchadnezzar. Let us listen then, and be sober, enduring the sufferings and trials sent our way, looking expectantly and certainly for His kingdom to come. In the latter days, before the kingdom of God is established on the earth, kings and kingdoms will become worse and worse. He would, after His death, burial, and resurrection come in His glory, rewarding men according to their deeds (16:27). Through this dream, King Nebuchadnezzar learned that only God's Kingdom will last forever. The angel goes on to describe what the Antichrist will do: He will speak out against the Most High, he will be boastful and arrogant, he will deny that the Most High is God, he will deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. These kings will rise to power and dominate the earth. 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. Upon hearing the details of the dream, Daniel too was troubled (4:19). The angel says the Antichrist will seek to make alterations in times and in law. 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. We are not told precisely what it is that troubles Daniel. 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers [1]to tell him what he had dreamed. It seems safe to assume the interpreter was an angelic being; at least this is the case in chapter 8 (8:15-26). A number of lessons from our text have broad application to our thinking and conduct as Christians. Remembering this avoids confusion. Daniel said the king's dream was about a giant statue that was destroyed by a stone cut out of a mountain. Daniel explained to the king that the statue represented four successive kingdoms based upon power and wealth, beginning with Babylon, while the stone and mountain signified a kingdom established by God that would never be destroyed nor given to other people. 4 The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. We will deal with the meaning and application of Daniels vision later on in our questions and answers. They are far from pleasant but an unavoidable part of the process. Whether liberal or conservative, our conclusions grow out of the premises and presuppositions governing the process and the product of our interpretation. The next portion of the statue in Daniel 2 was the chest and arms of silver which represented the Medo-Persian Empire which was even larger than the Babylonian empire. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these: These saints are the believing Jews of the tribulation, not the believers of the Church Age. 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). The prophecy of Daniel 7 nevertheless had great relevance and application to those in Daniels day. 16 I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. It was said ( ch. In the verses following our lesson text, the vision is explained (Daniel 7:21-27). 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. The second is Daniel's dream. Then the saints will receive the kingdom which will never end. The distance in time of the fulfillment of Daniel 7 said something very important to the captive Jews of Daniels day. In chapter 5, King Belshazzars dream should have greatly alarmed him, but apparantly it did not. If Daniel had been shaken by the dark side of his vision, he is reminded in the interpretation of the outcome of these eventsthe establish- ment of Gods eternal kingdom. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Prophets: Daniel 2:16 Daniel went in and desired (Dan. Arrogant, boastful, and even blasphemous kings will reign over the nations, opposing God and oppressing His saints. Verse 2. God is in no hurry to fulfill His promises, whether His promise of the eternal kingdom for all the saints or the promise of eternal destruction and judgment for sinners. Editing allows an author to set aside details which are not significant and focus on the essence of the message he is trying to communicate. 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. In Gods economy, things are not what they appear to be. (1) It follows the narrative concerning Mishael, Hananiah and Azariah in the matter of Nebuchadnezzar's golden image (Daniel 3). It may seem to them that their defeat is certain and that their hopes of entering into the eternal kingdom are lost. He not only speaks against the Most High, he oppresses the saints. And they did! (1) The troubling dream. Daniel said that his thoughts were greatly alarming him and his face grew pale. The Son of Man had the power to forgive sins, as well as to heal a paralytic (Matthew 9:6). (5) While the process involves wicked kings and nations and the suffering of the saints, the culmination is the establishment of Gods eternal kingdom. 5. (6) None of the kings or the kingdoms are identified. Alexander the Great's empire and its divisions after his death were predicted long in advance in Daniel 11. The third portion of the statue in Daniel 2 was the belly and thighs of bronze which represented the Greek empire. His disciples were promised that they would share in His reign as King (19:20). 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. These are the things Daniel sees in the vision. With the death of Nebuchadnezzar comes a change in the peoples attitudes, especially their leaders toward Judaism. Nebuchadnezzar became distressed when he received his first night vision (2:1) because he did understand some of his dream. Open your Bibles to Daniel 7. But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. 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). We are not of night nor o darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. 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). Consider these lessons as we conclude. The boastful beast becomes even more aggressive, waging war with the saints and even overpowering them. And yet God said they would. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. This is consistent with God's propensity to use miracles to identify His messengers. Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13). Daniel 2:1-13 - Nebuchadnezzar's Dream. The last kingdom has at least eleven kings. When the child is born, the pains of suffering are quickly lost in the joys of seeing a new life. May the Spirit of God reveal the meaning of this prophecy to us and produce in us that which God desires to His glory and our good. Since the last kingdom and the prophecies associated with it have not yet been fulfilled, we must in some way be a part of that kingdom. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, [3]Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Prophecy is not a pep rally, which generates a great burst of short-term enthusiasm but does little to inspire faith and endurance in the midst of suffering. The second and third beasts are briefly described in verses 5 and 6. Daniels vision ends here, but its impact on him does not end. We have talked about several times since starting this series about how studying Bible prophecy should influence you. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. This fourth beast seems to regenerate in the form of subsequent kings and kingdoms. According to verse 1, the written record of the revelation Daniel received in his first night vision is but a summary of the prophecy he received. 11 Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. (5) Above all, the prophecy in this chapter means precisely what God says it means in this text, nothing more and nothing less. The fourth beast appears to differ from the other three in that he is more beastly, more powerful, more destructive, and more arrogant. This is what we need to know from Daniels vision, rather than the identity of the beasts. This also underscores that these four kingdoms go from reasonably good to unbelievably bad. 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. (3) The finest commentary on the prophecy of Daniel 7 comes from our Lord Himself. Peter reminds us of Gods patience, but His patience has a determined end. There seems to be a close connection between the vision of Nebuchadnezzar, which is revealed and interpreted in chapter 2, and the vision of Daniel in chapter 7. These will continue to be separate nations in the confederation but will come under the little horns control and authority. This angel, beginning in the second half of verse 23 is describing the revived Roman empire which is yet future. Part of the dream seemed good, and part of it seemed bad. Prophecy is revealed to men to change their perspective, to urge them to see things as God sees them rather than as they appear to the human eye. What role do they play in relation to the four beasts? 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. a. 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. Yet, his emotional response was valid and changed little after the vision was explained more fully. He will keep continual pressure on the saints of the Highest One to try to break and destroy and annihilate them. He only called on him in a moment of sheer panic when no one else could help, and only then because of the recommendation of the queen mother. Some people have a rather irreverent attitude toward prophecy, they approach it as a pastime and they delight in figuring out complex date schemes and drawing detailed diagrams of the future. Alexander the great and his armies did conquer the nations that became a part of his empire swiftly. Other biblical prophecies bear on the prophecies of Daniel, particularly preceding or contemporary prophecies. If you remember from two weeks ago the bear was raised up on one side, this was to indicate that one part of this united kingdom overshadowed the other portion. In addition to the beasts iron teeth, Daniel tells us that the beast had claws of bronze. While most prophecies in the Bible reveal events which will take place after the death of the recipient of the prophecy, the prophecy is revealed for impact upon those to whom it was revealed. 78 Walvoord thinks this is the year 553 B.C., some 14 years before the fall of Babylon. They surely knew this text to be messianic, but they had always applied it to the Gentiles. 4:19; Ezk. Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. (1) Why does Daniel indicate the historical setting of the vision he receives in chapter 7? He intends to make changes in time and in law. So the king spoke, and said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you." Daniel was not satisfied with just a summary of his dream, especially of the fourth beast that was so different than the other three, he wanted more detail. (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. Daniel urged them to pray for mercy from the God of heaven, . 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. The statue represented the kingdoms of the earth. This chapter is a history, but it is the history of a prophecy, by a dream and the interpretation . However, the Son of Man must first suffer at the hands of men (17:22; 20:18). For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. in 1971. Prophecy reveals that which we would not and could not expect apart from divine revelation. Would this horn Daniels vision revealed oppose the people of God and even blaspheme God Himself? - As for these four children, God gave them knewledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.Or, as the words might be more accurately rendered, "these lads, the four of them" (Ezekiel 1:8-10).This indicates that somehow they were separated off into a quaternion. 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. Centuries must therefore pass before the prophecies of Daniel are fulfilled. We do not walk by sight, but by faith. The Son of Man was also Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). Prophecy is always practical and relevant to the person(s) receiving it. We are not to base our thinking and actions on circumstances, but upon the Scriptures. The words of Daniel which applied to the beasts now found application to them. 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