Daniel 1 6 BiographyHistory Daniel 7 12 Prophecy

Daniel 1— 6 Biography/History Daniel 7— 12 Prophecy

Daniel 7— 12 A series of 4 great revelations given to Daniel over the final 20 yrs. of his life. 7: 1; 8: 1; 9: 21; 10: 1

Dr. John Walvoord: “In the interpretation of biblical prophecy, the seventh chapter of Daniel occupies a unique place. As interpreted by conservative expositors, the vision of Daniel provides the most comprehensive and detailed prophecy of future events to be found anywhere in the Old Testament. . . Such a panorama of future events is of great importance to the student of prophecy, as it provides a broad outline to which all other prophetic events may be related. ”

The Rise of the Beasts

Daniel 7 is the pivot of the book I. The Experience of the Vision (1 -14) II. The Explanation of the Vision (15 -27) III. The Effect of the Vision (28)

The Jungle Book Daniel 7: 1 -8 I. The Background (1 -2) II. The Beasts (3 -7) III. The Boastful Horn (8)

I. The Background (1 -2) 7: 1 “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down, and related the following summary of it. ”

The vision in Daniel 7 occurred in 553 B. C. in Belshazzar’s first year of coregency with his father Nabonidus. This means it transpired between Daniel 4 and 5

7: 2 “Daniel said, ‘I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea”

II. The Beasts (7: 3 -7)

What do these 4 Beasts Represent? Daniel 7: 16 -17 “I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this, So he told me and made know to me the interpretation of these things; The great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. ” It’s common for animals to represent kingdoms. Eagle = U. S. Bear = Russia Lion = Great Britain

Lion with Eagle’s Wings Lion = king of beasts Eagle = king of birds Lopsided Bear Leopard 3 Ribs 4 wings 4 heads Monstrous Beast Ten horns

The Focus is on the Fourth Beast

Chiastic Structure in Daniel 2— 7

The Great Image Daniel 2

Parallels Between Daniel 2 and 7

Babylon (605 -539) Medo-Persia (539 -331) Greece (331 -63) Rome (63 BC to AD 476)

“In the second chapter, when a Gentile king had a vision of the course of world-empire, he saw the image of a man—a stately and noble figure— that filled him with such admiration that he set up a similar statue to be worshiped as a god. But in this opening chapter of the second division, Daniel, the man of God, has a vision of the same empires and he sees them as four ravenous wild beasts, of so brutal a character, and so monstrous withal, that no actual creatures could adequately set them forth. ”

Daniel 2 Daniel 7 Daniel interprets Angel interprets World History from man’s viewpoint World History from God’s viewpoint

Daniel 7 Revelation 13

III. The Boastful Horn (7: 8)

The Little Big Horn (7: 8)

“The key to understanding Daniel 7— 12 of Daniel’s prophecy is to understand that Daniel is focusing his attention on this one great ruler and his kingdom which will arise in the end time. ”

Are the 10 horns and little horn past or future? 4 Reasons to take this as future: 1. No historical form of the Roman empire existed in a 10 king or kingdom form. 2. Little horn and uprooting of 3 horns 3. The scene of final judgment in 7: 9 -12. 4. The final kingdom is totally destroyed and replaced by Christ’s kingdom.

5 Stages of the Roman Empire Fulfilled Stages 1. The United Stage—The Roman Empire 2. The Two Division Stage (East-West) Future Stages 3. The 10 -King Stage 4. Antichrist ruling over the 10 kings 5. The Antichrist/World Government Stage

Is This Forming Today? What Do We see Today that Points Toward this?

Treaty of Rome 1957 Established the European Economic Community

The Treaty on European Union Signed in Maastricht, Netherlands on February 7, 1992

754 -member EU Parliament

EU Parliament Building

Signed on Capitoline Hill in Rome Oct 29, 2004

The Present EUniting of the Roman Empire 1951 European Coal and Steel Community (6 nations) 1957 Treaty of Rome (EEC; same 6 nations) 1991 The End of the Cold War (Fall of USSR) 1992 Treaty of Maastricht (created the EU) 2002 Single currency – the EURO 2004 10 more nations join; new constitution signed 2007 Total nations rises to 27 2009 Lisbon treaty signed

Thomas Ice and Timothy Demy: “One would have to be totally ignorant of developments within the world of our day not to admit that, through the efforts of the European Union, ‘Humpty-Dumpty’ is finally being put back together again. This is occurring, like all of the other needed developments of prophecy, at just the right time to be in place for the coming tribulation period. ”

Logical end of humanism. Remove God—you get Antichrist God will one day intervene directly.

Ed Dobson: “If God can be trusted with the affairs of the universe, and he can, then he can be trusted with the affairs of my life. God can be trusted in the sweep of human history—the rise and fall of political kingdoms. God can be trusted in the events of history, and you can trust him now in the events of your life. ” If the prophecies of God come true, then we can rely on his promises.

Daniel 7 is the pivot of the book I. The Experience of the Vision (1 -14) II. The Explanation of the Vision (15 -27) III. The Effect of the Vision (28)

Babylon (605 -539) Medo-Persia (539 -331) Greece (331 -63) Rome (63 BC to AD 476)

5 Stages of the Roman Empire Fulfilled Stages 1. The United Stage—The Roman Empire 2. The Two Division Stage (East-West) Future Stages 3. The 10 -King Stage 4. Antichrist ruling over the 10 kings 5. The Antichrist/World Government Stage

The Appearance of the Ancient of Days Daniel 7: 9 -10

“I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire, a river of fire was flowing out from before Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court sat, and the books were opened.

“vesture like white snow” – purity “hair like pure wool” – wisdom and age “His throne” – majesty and authority “was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire, and coming out from before Him” – judgment Psalm 97: 3 – “Fire goes before Him and burns up His adversaries round about”

The Ancient of Days O Worship the King, all glorious above, And Gratefully sing His power and His love; Our shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days, Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

Immortal invisible, God only wise In light inaccessible hid from our eyes; Most blessed, most glorious, The Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, They great name we praise.

Come Thou Almighty King Help us Thy name to sing, Help us to praise; Father, all glorious, O’er all victorious, Come and reign over us, Ancient of Days.

“And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him”

“the court sat, and the books were opened. ” Daniel 12: 1 “everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. ”

Daniel 7 and Ezekiel 1

Ezekiel 1 – The Throne Chariot of God

The Annihilation of the Beast (11 -12)

“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. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time. ” (7: 11 -12)

Revelation 19: 19 -20 “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. ”

The Arrival of the Son of Man (13 -14)

“ I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him, and to Him was given dominion glory and a kingdom, that all the people, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. ” (7: 13 -14)

The Son of Man This title occurs 81 times in the Gospels. It’s used by Jesus every time except John 12: 34. Why did Jesus use this title for Himself more than any other? Because it’s ambiguous. It reveals and conceals. It can mean nothing more than “man” (Ps. 8: 4; Ezekiel) Or, it can mean the Son of Man in Daniel 7: 13 who comes to rule over the earth

Authority – “But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . ” (Mark 2: 10) Exaltation – “But Jesus kept silent, 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. ’ Jesus said to them, ‘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. ’ Then the high priest tore his robes, saying, ‘He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy. ” (Matt. 26: 63 -65) Acts 7: 56

Daniel 7 is the pivot of the book I. The Experience of the Vision (1 -14) II. The Explanation of the Vision (15 -27) III. The Effect of the Vision (28)

4 Keys to Daniel 7 The 4 th beast The Ancient of Days The Little Horn (Antichrist) The Kingdom of the Messiah

Little Big Horn The Rise of Antichrist

Donald Grey Barnhouse “When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He would bow down and worship him. Of course, Jesus refused his offer. But in the future there is coming a man who will take Satan up on the offer, and whom Satan will indwell, giving his power, throne, and all his authority into the hands of this one man. ”

Why think about the Antichrist? 1. Great deal in the Bible about him. 100 passage in the Bible about him. 2. Gives us confidence that God will ultimately triumph over all evil. 3. Help us see how current events all around us are working to set the stage for His coming.

Chuck Swindoll “This man will emerge after the Rapture, probably to calm the chaotic waters troubled by the unexplained departure of so many Christians. He will be primed and ready to speak. He will stand before not only a nation but a world and will win their approval. Like Hitler, he will emerge on a scene of such political and economic chaos that the people will see him as a man with vision, with pragmatic answers and power to unite the world. ”

“The key to understanding Daniel 7— 12 of Daniel’s prophecy is to understand that Daniel is focusing his attention on this one great ruler and his kingdom which will arise in the end time. ”

12 Attributes and Actions of the Antichrist 1. He rises from a reunited or revived Roman Empire after the group of 10 has developed. He won’t create it; he will absorb it (7: 8, 24) 2. He begins insignificantly (7: 8). 3. He subdues 3 of the ten rulers (7: 8, 24).

4. He is unique and unusually intelligent (7: 24 “different from the previous ones” 7: 8) 5. He is a great orator. Persuasive.

6. He is physically impressive. Looks the part (7: 20). 7. He blasphemes the true God (7: 25). Exalts himself to the level of God. 8. He will persecute the Jewish people who are regathered to their land (7: 25; 9: 27).

9. He seeks to establish himself and his kingdom as a new epoch (7: 25). 10. He reigns for a brief period (3 ½ yrs).

11. He will be defeated by the Lord Jesus at His 2 nd Coming (7: 11 -12, 26). Armageddon (Rev. 19: 20 -21) 2 Thess 2: 8 12. His kingdom will be replaced by the kingdom of Christ (7: 13 -14, 27).

Dave Hunt “The battle between Christ and Antichrist is fought to the finish line in every human heart. We must know whose side we are on now. It will be too late to change sides at the Second Coming. ”

Adrian Rogers “The difference between the Antichrist and Christ is that one gives you a number and the other gives you a name. When Jesus comes will your name be called or will your number be up? ”

The End time puzzle appears is coming together to pave the way for this man. Israel in the land Cry for peace in the Middle East Reuniting of the Roman Empire Globalism World is clamoring for a great leader Our world today is looking more and more all the time like the picture on top of the box.

Daniel 7: 17 -28

The King and His Kingdom

J. Dwight Pentecost “A larger body of prophetic Scripture is devoted to the subject of the millennium, developing its character and conditions, than any other one subject. ”

The Explanation of the Vision Daniel 7: 15 -27 Key Word in Daniel 7 = “kingdom” (11 x) (2 x in 7: 14, 9 x in 7: 15 -27)

I. The Kingdoms of the Earth (7: 17 -18) Interprets the four beasts of 7: 1 -7 II. The Kingdom of Antichrist (7: 19 -25) Interprets the little horn of 7: 8 III. The Judgment of the Antichrist (7: 26) Interprets the judgment scene of 7: 9 -12 IV. The Kingdom of Christ (7: 27) Interprets 7: 13 -14

The 3 Main Views of the Reign of Christ

Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church: Ante-Nicene Christianity (1884): “The most striking point in the eschatology of the ante. Nicene age [A. D. 100 -325] is the prominent chiliasm, or millennarianism, that is the belief of a visible reign of Christ in glory on earth with the risen saints for a thousand years, before the general resurrection and judgment. It was indeed not the doctrine of the church embodied in any creed or form of devotion, but a widely current opinion of distinguished teachers, such as Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Methodius, and Lactantius. ”

A 2011 poll by the National Association of Evangelicals surveyed its board of directors, which include CEOs of denominations and representatives of a broad array of evangelical organizations on their eschatological beliefs. The poll found that 65% Premillennial 13% Amillennial 4% Postmillennial 17% Other

Premillennialism in Daniel 7 Why the kingdom is literal, future and earthly

Daniel 7 and 7 Main Points in Favor of Premillennialism 1. The kingdom of the Messiah clearly follows the appearance of the Antichrist. 2. The prophecy requires the visible kingdom of Christ to follow the kingdoms of the Gentiles. It’s not running concurrently with them. Christ’s kingdom is established after the overthrow of all other world kingdoms.

3. The visible kingdom of Christ succeeds the final form of Gentile dominion ruled by 10 kings and finally by one king who reigns for 3 ½ years. Neither has appeared yet. 4. The visible kingdom of Messiah takes over the other kingdoms in power and glory.

5. The kingdom of Messiah is Jewish which is not true of any present kingdom of Christ on earth. 6. Christ’s kingdom will be similar to the ones that preceded it, that is, visible and earthly. 7. The beasts are still running things. They haven’t been judged and destroyed.

J. Dwight Pentecost “God’s purpose for the earth would be unrealized and the problem generated by Satan’s rebellion would never be resolved. Thus the physical, literal reign of Christ on the earth is a theological and biblical necessity—unless Satan is victorious over God. ”

James Boice “To my mind, however, the best and ultimate reason why there must be a literal millennium is that only in a literal millennium do we have a meaningful culmination of world history. ” The millennium will put the capstone on God’s purpose for this world.

Matthew 19: 28 Revelation 5 Speaks of a reign that is future (“will reign”) and earthly (“upon the earth”). Only the premillennial view does justice to these words. Revelation 20: 1 -6

QUESTION? If Christ’s kingdom on earth will last 1, 000 years, why does Daniel 7 say the kingdom will be “forever ” (7: 18) or “everlasting” (7: 14, 27) rather than 1, 000 years?