We see a gapan almost insurmountable gapbetween suffering and glory; God does not. Daniel urged them to pray for mercy from the God of heaven, . to revoke its approval of the two main drugs used for medication abortion in the United States. A revelation from God in his sleep discloses future events which Daniel finds most troubling. 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. There is fairly strong inferential evidence that Nebuchadnezzar was represented by the first beast, the winged lion. He was chosen by God to speak to the Jews in Babylon and to show them God's future plans. (2) The prophecies of Daniel must be understood in relationship to and in light of the other prophecies of Daniel. Each beast has its own unique characteristics. 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. 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. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. Before long, Daniel was explaining the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. First, the prophecies of Daniel are divinely inspired and revealed, and thus they are true and reliable. In the Old Testament, the expression son of man was used most frequently in reference to men, who were merely (as opposed to God) human. This kings boasting turns to blasphemy. 15 As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. Unfortunately, the king did not heed the dreams warning, and his kingdom was taken away for a time. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Then, in Daniel 2, the Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream that only Daniel could interpret. 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, every one whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. (3) What principles should guide and govern our attempt to interpret the prophecy of this chapter? (Numbers 23:19). The kingdom of God will be established and the saints will possess it forever. 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? 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. As the wicked prosper in their sin, it seems as though they can continue in sin without any fear of divine judgment (see Psalm 73:1-11; 2 Peter 2:3-4). It is good for us to understand the theology of the end-times, but we must approach it with reverence. 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. The latter prophecy of Daniel 7 adds many more details than were revealed in chapter 2. The Son of Man was also Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). In the context of the coming of His kingdom and the suffering and trials which precede it, soberness is a vitally important quality which prophecy promotes: 1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. So the king spoke, and said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you." The blasphemous horn of Daniel 7, which goes so far as to oppose the people of God, is suddenly taken by death, and his kingdom is removed. Daniel 1:1-2:4a was written in Hebrew. The death of this king brings about the end of his kingdom. When mentioning the little horn that grew up and uprooted three of the first ten horns, Daniel now tells us that this little horn grew until it was larger in appearance then the remaining seven horns. Prophecies are given so that we may look at history, especially events occurring in our own lifetime, from Gods perspective. When that day comes for them, it is too late to repent. Chapter 2 - The original dream describing the future kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greek, Roman, kingdom of God. (1) It follows the narrative concerning Mishael, Hananiah and Azariah in the matter of Nebuchadnezzar's golden image (Daniel 3). 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. 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. The fourth beast receives greater attention and is of the most interest to Daniel. A lawsuit could force the F.D.A. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. What role do they play in relation to the four beasts? A look through the Scriptures shows that Daniels response to the prophecies he received was not unique. This vision was an interactive vision, as Daniel was not only present in the vision but was able to approach one standing by to ask the meaning of what he saw. (2) Why do you think Daniel summarized his dream when he wrote it rather than tell it in full (see verse 1)? 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. I also told you it corresponded to the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 2, but with more detail. Thus, the vision is yet unfulfilled in terms of its major emphasis. History has shown this to be true in the past, and prophecy assures us that it will be true in the future. 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. 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. The coming of the Son of Man is represented as one coming, and not two. This part of Daniels dream is new information that was not conveyed in Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter two. 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). Here is a man that has faithfully walked with his God his whole life. 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). His followers too must be alert and ready for His return (24:44). Nebuchadnezzar became distressed when he received his first night vision (2:1) because he did understand some of his dream. 76 It is not altogether accurate to refer to chapters 1-6 as historical and 7-12 as prophetic. Where it has not caused distress, it should have. The First Vision is a dream of the king that is interpreted by Daniel. She makes it clear in a rather public fashion that she finds him desirable. 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. In those days, as in our own, there are always those are too quick to conclude that the kingdom of God has come (see Matthew 24:4, 6, 8, 24-28; 2 Thessalonians 2:1ff.). 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. Daniel boiled down his vision to its essence, so we would not fail to understand the message he meant to convey to us. 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. Gods plan and program are carried out on His schedule, not ours (see 2 Peter 2:8-10). After this chapter, the book returns to the Hebrew language. (5) What do the four beasts represent? In chapter 5, King Belshazzars dream should have greatly alarmed him, but apparantly it did not. So, I began the review by looking at the first 14 verses where Daniel gives us a summary of the visions he had as he dreamed in his sleep. 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. Then the saints will receive the kingdom which will never end. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, [6]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. The fulfillment of the prophecy of Belshazzars demise underscores the certainty of the fulfillment of Daniels vision in the last days. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. A person should not take credit for what God does through him. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Nevertheless, Daniel tells no one, keeping the matter to himself and suffering a quiet agony over the future events God has revealed to him. Daniel obtaining some respite finds the dream. 9 If any one has an ear, let him hear. We must approach prophecy with fear and reverence. We are not told precisely what it is that troubles Daniel. How easily we turn from what is revealed to speculate about what has been concealed (see Deuteronomy 29:29). (11) What is the point of the vision? Who are these saints that the angel is speaking of? 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. 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. Prophecy is always practical and relevant to the person(s) receiving it. Editing is often evident in the Bible (see John 20:30-31; 31:25). A true account of what happened can only be gathered by reading Daniel 2:18; Daniel 2:28 by the side of this verse. The angel told Daniel that at the end of those three and a half years the court would sit for judgment and the dominion (a word in Aramaic that means kingdom or empire and the citizens or subjects of that empire) would be taken away from the Antichrist, and the Antichrist and his followers will be annihilated and destroyed forever. (8) Is there any relationship between Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter 2 and Daniels dream in chapter 7? 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. Peter reminds us of Gods patience, but His patience has a determined end. 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. 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. We will deal with the meaning and application of Daniels vision later on in our questions and answers. In his vision, the statue collapsed and disappeared, because a mysterious stone struck it at its feet. 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. The process of having a baby involves the pains of childbirth. However, the Son of Man must first suffer at the hands of men (17:22; 20:18). (4) This is the first prophecy in the book revealed directly to Daniel. Chapter 7 reveals in broad terms what the future holds. If you need one see me after the service and I will get you a copy. Arrogant, boastful, and even blasphemous kings will reign over the nations, opposing God and oppressing His saints. From Daniel 2:4b to the end of chapter 7, the original text was written in Aramaic (the language of Babylon in that day). Then He said to me, Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you! (Ezekiel 2:1). In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 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