Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Daniel 7:14
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 |
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Daniel had become a leader, most likely the third highest- ranking leader, in the Babylonian Empire, by the time he reached 70 years of age, his age at the time of the "night vision" recorded in our extended reading passage.
For almost 50 years he had served as a counselor to King Nebuchadnezzar and now Daniel was serving his grandson, Belshazzar in the first year of his reign, verse 1.
As a young man Daniel had been gifted by the Lord to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel 2, which was a prophecy of the present and future Gentile world powers from Daniels' day until the return of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Now some 50 years later the Lord gives Daniel a "vision" of that same scenario for the Gentile world empires and what would happen at the Second Coming of Jesus.
Since I don't have the time and space to go into a lot of detail, let me give you the overall big picture, presented to Daniel in his "night vision". Daniel would see "four great beast" rise up out of the sea, each one diverse from the other, verse 3.
Let me remind you that this is "apocalyptic literature". In "apocalyptic literature" the author uses "symbols" to convey an "absolute truth." The symbol is not an allegory nor a fairy-tale, but an "absolute truth".
That being said, please allow me to take a shortcut and tell you what the symbols represent in Daniel 7. The "lion with eagles wings" is the Babylonian Empire, verse 4. The "bear with three ribs in its mouth,"verse 5, is the Medo-Persian Empire. In verse 6, the "leopard with four wings and four heads" is the Grecian Empire.
The "awesome beast" in verse 7 is the "Revived Roman Empire" (See my audio series, "The Daniel Papers").
Notice the "ten horns" of the "awesome beast" in verse 7 and in verse 8, the "little horn" that comes out of the "ten horns." The "ten horns" represent the "Revived Roman Empire" and the "little horn" is one of twenty-seven names for the "Antichrist".
I understand I haven't gone into very much detail on this prophecy that Daniel received in a "night vision" but deeper study will reveal these truths.
Please notice verses 13-14. Here is the promise of a future "kingdom" that will be given to Jesus Christ, the "Son of Man", verse 13, by the "ancient of days", God the Father. This is a "kingdom" that comes after the "Revived Roman Empire" and the "Antichrist" are on the scene, and it will be an "everlasting kingdom."
I remind you that it is not a "Kingdom" which is in place now. This "Kingdom", referred to in this passage, will be given to Jesus, at the return of the Messiah, by God the Father.
By the way, the recent European Union Treaty accepted by all 27-member states of the EU calls for a "Supra-State," the United States of Europe. The Treaty also provides for an EU that will be led by a "powerful, permanent president".
These both, if not the ultimate fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy, then they sure are a prototype of prophecy yet to be fulfilled, seemingly in the near future. Keep looking up.
PRAYER THOT: Help me, Lord to live pure and productive every day as I prepare for your soon coming.
For further study - Daniel 7:1-14
Daniel had become a leader, most likely the third highest- ranking leader, in the Babylonian Empire, by the time he reached 70 years of age, his age at the time of the "night vision" recorded in our extended reading passage.
For almost 50 years he had served as a counselor to King Nebuchadnezzar and now Daniel was serving his grandson, Belshazzar in the first year of his reign, verse 1.
As a young man Daniel had been gifted by the Lord to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel 2, which was a prophecy of the present and future Gentile world powers from Daniels' day until the return of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Now some 50 years later the Lord gives Daniel a "vision" of that same scenario for the Gentile world empires and what would happen at the Second Coming of Jesus.
Since I don't have the time and space to go into a lot of detail, let me give you the overall big picture, presented to Daniel in his "night vision". Daniel would see "four great beast" rise up out of the sea, each one diverse from the other, verse 3.
Let me remind you that this is "apocalyptic literature". In "apocalyptic literature" the author uses "symbols" to convey an "absolute truth." The symbol is not an allegory nor a fairy-tale, but an "absolute truth".
That being said, please allow me to take a shortcut and tell you what the symbols represent in Daniel 7. The "lion with eagles wings" is the Babylonian Empire, verse 4. The "bear with three ribs in its mouth,"verse 5, is the Medo-Persian Empire. In verse 6, the "leopard with four wings and four heads" is the Grecian Empire.
The "awesome beast" in verse 7 is the "Revived Roman Empire" (See my audio series, "The Daniel Papers").
Notice the "ten horns" of the "awesome beast" in verse 7 and in verse 8, the "little horn" that comes out of the "ten horns." The "ten horns" represent the "Revived Roman Empire" and the "little horn" is one of twenty-seven names for the "Antichrist".
I understand I haven't gone into very much detail on this prophecy that Daniel received in a "night vision" but deeper study will reveal these truths.
Please notice verses 13-14. Here is the promise of a future "kingdom" that will be given to Jesus Christ, the "Son of Man", verse 13, by the "ancient of days", God the Father. This is a "kingdom" that comes after the "Revived Roman Empire" and the "Antichrist" are on the scene, and it will be an "everlasting kingdom."
I remind you that it is not a "Kingdom" which is in place now. This "Kingdom", referred to in this passage, will be given to Jesus, at the return of the Messiah, by God the Father.
By the way, the recent European Union Treaty accepted by all 27-member states of the EU calls for a "Supra-State," the United States of Europe. The Treaty also provides for an EU that will be led by a "powerful, permanent president".
These both, if not the ultimate fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy, then they sure are a prototype of prophecy yet to be fulfilled, seemingly in the near future. Keep looking up.
PRAYER THOT: Help me, Lord to live pure and productive every day as I prepare for your soon coming.