The revelation of the writing on the banquet hall wall, already described in chapter 5, actually happened later, on the last day of Belshazzars life. A number of lessons from our text have broad application to our thinking and conduct as Christians. Their perception is wrong, for suddenly and without warning their day of destruction will come upon them. 3 And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. In the Psalms and also in Daniel 7, the expression Son of Man begins to take on a more technical meaning, referring to the Messiah, who will sit on the throne of His father, David, to rule over men forever. Our attention should be given to what is clearly and emphatically said. 5. As Daniel watches, the wings are torn off the beast, and the creature stands erect like a man and a human mind is given to it. How was the fourth beast different from the first three? Even those portions which we believe have been fulfilled, students of prophecy differ about the way of their fulfillment. It was said ( ch. The fourth beast appears to differ from the other three in that he is more beastly, more powerful, more destructive, and more arrogant. Daniel approached one of theses angels and began to ask him to explain to him the meaning or the truth concerning all that he had seen in his visions. 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. Daniels dream here in chapter 7 and Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter 2 are one and the same dream with additional details added to Daniels dream. The vision recorded in chapter 8 took place in the third year of Belshazzar. Because of this we can have a greater understanding of this dream than Daniel did. Thirdly (and most importantly), the prophecies of Daniel mean exactly what God says they mean, nothing more and nothing less. We are not to base our thinking and actions on circumstances, but upon the Scriptures. All distinctions of race and colour and nationality are stripped away and one apparently human figure represents the whole human race. Joyce C. Baldwin, Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1978), p. 150. 8 While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts. Prophecies are given so that we may look at history, especially events occurring in our own lifetime, from Gods perspective. So, this phrase refers to 3 years. He not only speaks against the Most High, he oppresses the saints. Nothing has caused him to panic or depart from his faith and practice as a godly Jew. In order to save Rose, Unity asks her to give up whatever makes her the dream vortex. He intends to make changes in time and in law. Unfortunately, the king did not heed the dreams warning, and his kingdom was taken away for a time. Desiring a more detailed explanation, he apparently asked for one and received it. This morning we want to look at verses 15-28 and the interpretation of Daniels dream. Daniel was terrified or alarmed by the scenes he had seen in his mind and desired to understand what they meant. The horn continues to sound off while the court is being set up for judgment. No wonder this vision causes Daniel such distress. 5 And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And the high priest said to Him, I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus said to him, You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, AND COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN (Matthew 26:59-64). The third portion of the statue in Daniel 2 was the belly and thighs of bronze which represented the Greek empire. Specifically, the account of The Bad News at Belshazzars Banquet (not a bad title for that lesson) in chapter 5 was given to us so that we could better understand the prophecies of chapters 7 and 8. Daniels vision ends here, but its impact on him does not end. Suffering and glory are a part of one work. Daniel uses the expression Son of man twice. Then the kingdoms of the earth, the sovereignty, the dominion, the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heavens, in other words, the whole world will be given to the saints of the Highest One and the Highest One, Jesus Christ, will rule and it will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him. In Revelation it is also referred to as 42 months and 1260 days which all work out to 3 years. Daniel 2:1). What God says, He will do. Upon hearing the details of the dream, Daniel too was troubled (4:19). The boastful beast becomes even more aggressive, waging war with the saints and even overpowering them. But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. The other prophecies were revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar and interpreted by Daniel. Daniel obtaining some respite finds the dream. 2 Daniel said, I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. A revelation from God in his sleep discloses future events which Daniel finds most troubling. We have already seen this phrase time, times, and half a time in Revelation. But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. (Daniel 7:1718, NASB95)[2] The four beasts that Daniel saw in his dream were four kings and represented the four kingdoms of these kings. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. 9:1; 12:1, AV, RV), and the book of Daniel insists here and in subsequent chapters (8:27; 10:1, 10, 11, 15, 18) on the anxiety and psychological turmoil involved in receiving, even at Gods hand, understanding of the future course of history. Joyce C. Baldwin, Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1978), p. 143. A true account of what happened can only be gathered by reading Daniel 2:18; Daniel 2:28 by the side of this verse. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. Jesus quoted the words of Daniel 7:13. Then the time had arrived for the saints to take possession of the kingdom. History has shown this to be true in the past, and prophecy assures us that it will be true in the future. The prophecy of Daniel 11 includes amazing details about great empires, political developments and end-time powers that would affect the Jews and all people today. (2) The prophecies of Daniel must be understood in relationship to and in light of the other prophecies of Daniel. If we go back to Daniel 2 and look at the statue in Nebuchadnezzars dream, we find that it too represented four kings and their kingdoms. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Prophets: Daniel 2:16 Daniel went in and desired (Dan. Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? These both represent Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire. 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. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. Chapter 7 reveals in broad terms what the future holds. Then, in Daniel 2, the Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream that only Daniel could interpret. 80 During my school teaching days, I tried to make my students think I had eyes in the back of my head so that no matter what they did--even if my back was turned--they could not escape my all-seeing eyes or my discipline. 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. What is it that these men are testifying against You? 63 But Jesus kept silent. Note that the description of the beasts is written in prose, while the description of the heavenly court in verses 9-10 and of the Son of Man in verses 13-14 is written in poetry form. Chapter 7 moves from the historical accounts of Daniel and his three friends to the prophetic revelations received by Daniel in the last half of the Book.76 The following chart may help us visualize the relationship of Daniels prophecies to the historical setting in which they were revealed: The first prophetic revelation is found in Daniel 2. 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. But in the end, God will judge the wicked and establish His kingdom for His saints. When we expect it least, the Lord will return, the wicked will be punished, and the kingdom of God established forevermore. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, Arise, devour much meat! 6 After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. Remember Daniel was in his 60s when he received this revelation. They acknowledging their inability are judged to die. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 4 and they worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him? 5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. Je. Dan 2:1-4 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 76 It is not altogether accurate to refer to chapters 1-6 as historical and 7-12 as prophetic. The beasts are a horrifying and frightening sight; the heavenly court scene is one of regal splendor and beauty. This designation refers to God the Father in a way that stresses His eternality, dignity, and power. What is its message to Daniel, to the Jews, and to us? Children need to know that as believers, we are on the winning team and God wins in the end. In my opinion, the most dramatic reference of our Lord to His identity as the Son of Man comes as the Lord Jesus stands on trial before the Sanhedrin and the high priest: 59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death; 60 and they did not find it, even though many false witnesses came forward. Hearing this, Nebuchadnezzar affirms that Daniel's god is "the God of gods and Lord of kings and revealer of mysteries". 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. The inter-relationship between the prophecies of chapters 2 and 7 is demonstrated on the following page: Deterioration: Gold to iron mixed with clay, Deterioration: Nearly human to blaspheming beast. Daniel 5 is an illustration and a prototype of what will happen in the end times, as described in the prophecy of Daniel 7. In chapter 5, King Belshazzars dream should have greatly alarmed him, but apparantly it did not. The third beast is leopard-like, with four wings and four heads, and it is given dominion. A look through the Scriptures shows that Daniels response to the prophecies he received was not unique. When the iniquity of the blasphemous horn reaches full bloom and his appointed time to rule is fulfilled, God will destroy him, casting his body into the fire. Just a few years later Alexander died, and his empire was divided into four parts and his four generals became the monarch of a quarter of the Greek empire. During times of oppression, it may appear the saints are being defeated and that Gods kingdom is but wishful thinking. The next three are waking visions seen in the presence of angels, followed by an appearance of the Messiah - the Son of Man - to interpret the vision for Daniel. Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. No wonder His words stung and prompted them to act as they did. 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. Daniel was told that the beasts are kings, but he was not told the identity of any of the kings. At this point the revelation ended. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, Embedded video for Daniel's Dream Interpreted - Daniel 7:15-28. 26 But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. Our Lords first coming happened over a period of more than 30 years, and yet we view this as one coming. This part of Daniels dream is new information that was not conveyed in Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter two. The distance in time of the fulfillment of Daniel 7 said something very important to the captive Jews of Daniels day. (10) What effect did the vision have on Daniel, and why? Because Daniel possessed wisdom bestowed by God and was conscientious in his work, he not only prospered during the reigns of successive rulers, but King Darius planned to put him in charge of the entire kingdom. [1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. Daniel said the king's dream was about a giant statue that was destroyed by a stone cut out of a mountain. (7) No identification is made of the saints as Jews or Gentiles. There seems to be no Jewish nationalistic emphasis here, as there will be later.75. We need to be waiting and prepared for His return. This angel, beginning in the second half of verse 23 is describing the revived Roman empire which is yet future. (5) Prophecy is not written as hype but revealed to produce the hope of glory and endurance in present tribulation. In Daniel's dream the Medo-Persian empire and it king Cyrus was represented by the bear. (Numbers 23:19). The three ribs in the bears mouth between its teeth most likely represent Babylon, Egypt, and Lydia, three empires conquered by the Medo-Persian empire. The point of this prophecy is not to tell us who future kings will be, but rather what they will be like. The vision plays on before Daniel, almost as though in answer to his desire to know more. 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