The prophecy of this chapter is divinely interpreted. 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? Those who will reign with Christ are those who have suffered (see Romans 8:17; Philippians 3:10-11; 2 Timothy 2:12). The other three are removed from power but allowed to live for some time after their removal (verse 12). Verses 1-14 contain the vision which God gave to Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 B.C., some 9 years before Belshazzars reign began. 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. 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. 9 If any one has an ear, let him hear. With the death of Nebuchadnezzar comes a change in the peoples attitudes, especially their leaders toward Judaism. (2) Chapters 7 and 8, while written in different languages, are written during the reign of Belshazzar and somehow linked by the author in Daniel 8:1. - 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. Consider these lessons as we conclude. Daniel was an intelligent young Jew living in Jerusalem during the late 600s B.C. The lesson was prepared for older students. Centuries must therefore pass before the prophecies of Daniel are fulfilled. 3:15; Zc. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints (Revelation 13:1-10). In his vision, the statue collapsed and disappeared, because a mysterious stone struck it at its feet. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for them to have a child. Prophecy speaks not only of the joys and glories of Gods kingdom to come but of the suffering and tribulation preceding the eternal blessings of the kingdom of God. As I stated two weeks ago the leopard was noted for its swiftness and the two pairs of wings suggests added swiftness beyond the animals own ability. Child-bearing is a process which involves suffering and glory. 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. Daniel 2: Nebuchadnezzar's Dream by Larry Murray King Nebuchadnezzar had a puzzling dream that no one could explainuntil God gave the interpretation to Daniel. 1. (9) The interpretation of Daniels vision comes in two parts, beginning with a general interpretation and then a more specific one based on Daniels questions. The emphasis of this brief interpretation falls not on the enemies of God, their power, their brutality, nor their boasting, but on the kingdom of God, its certainty and its permanence for all the saints forever. Arrogant, boastful, and even blasphemous kings will reign over the nations, opposing God and oppressing His saints. Chapter 2 - The original dream describing the future kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greek, Roman, kingdom of God. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:1-8). (11) A distinction is made between God the Fatherthe Ancient of Days and God the Sonthe Son of Manwith both playing a part in the establishment of the kingdom. Before long, Daniel was explaining the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar. Consider the birth of a child, remembering that Gods deliverance and salvation is likened to birth. Nebuchadnezzar may have started badly, but by the time we read of him in Daniel 4 he seems to be a true believer in God, urging the citizens of his kingdom to worship and serve Him. [1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. (6) Prophecy is written to sober the saints. Choosing his words tactfully, Daniel asks Arioch why the king has made such a decree. 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. While most of those in this kingdom may not have had a true conversion, at least they tolerated the Jewish faith as the religion of the state. An eleventh king then rises to power, different from the others, replacing three of the previous kings. The chapter falls into two major parts. Prophecy is always practical and relevant to the person(s) receiving it. Our text challenges such a conclusion, and later prophecies in Daniel further document that the coming of the King and of the kingdom will be some time further in the future. Daniel obtaining some respite finds the dream. The fourth beast receives greater attention and is of the most interest to Daniel. When the court sits for judgment, his dominion is taken from him and he is destroyed forever. Consequently, it is little wonder that in the events recorded in Daniel 5, Belshazzar was ignorant of Daniel and the abilities God had given him. 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. Rather than publish what he had learned he kept it to himself, until that time that the Holy Spirit guided him to write down and reveal what he had learned to the saints. As we shall show later, the content of the prophecy of Daniel 7 is very closely related to the reign of Belshazzar. He will rule over all nations forever. Between the first half of verse 23 and the second half of this verse we have what has been referred to as the great parenthesis in the Old Testament, the mystery of the church and the Church Age which was not revealed to the world until after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. As I read through the statements men have made about the God of Israel in the first six chapters of Daniel, I find that what men came to know and to acknowledge through history, God declares through prophecy. Jesus quoted the words of Daniel 7:13. 75 Everything in chapter 7 is on a world-wide scale, the empires of the beasts, the judgment, and the nations that worship and serve the one like mortal man. When that day comes for them, it is too late to repent. The head of the statue was made of gold, the chest and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of bronze, and the legs and feet of iron and clay. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. Suffering is an inseparable part of the process which leads to glory. 5. Our attention should be given to what is clearly and emphatically said. 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. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:89, NASB95)[7] You have a responsibility because you know what the end will bring. Daniel does not date this dream as he did the earlier dream (cf. 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 the second year: It is difficult to understand the exact time this speaks of. in 1971. 4:19; Ezk. The angel says the Antichrist will seek to make alterations in times and in law. The first beast was lion-like, with wings like that of an eagle.79 Its wings were plucked from it; if this happened in mid-air, he must have plummeted to the ground. When we expect it least, the Lord will return, the wicked will be punished, and the kingdom of God established forevermore. From Daniel 2:4b to the end of chapter 7, the original text was written in Aramaic (the language of Babylon in that day). The saints (believing Jews when Christ return to earth) will enjoy the kingdom, the fulfillment of Gods promise to Israel.[3] The Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary states that these saints might also include the resurrected Old Testament saints, the martyred tribulation saints, and the tribulation saints who survive the tribulation. The angel that Daniel was talking with gave Daniel greater detail concerning the fourth beast; he described this fourth beast as a fourth kingdom coming from the earth, it will be different from all the rest, this kingdom will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. The three and a half years referred to here in Daniel is the last half of the tribulation, also called the Great Tribulation and the Time of Jacobs Trouble. 1:17) that Daniel had understanding in dreams; and here we have an early and eminent instance of it, which soon made him famous in the court of Babylon, as Joseph by the same means came to be so in the court of Egypt. In Revelation it is also referred to as 42 months and 1260 days which all work out to 3 years. We should note Daniels distress in chapter 7 before turning to the other prophecies in Daniel, where we will find that prophecy very often produces distress. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Prophets: Daniel 2:16 Daniel went in and desired (Dan. Please stand in honor of the reading of Gods Word and follow along as I read verses 15-28. The latter prophecy of Daniel 7 adds many more details than were revealed in chapter 2. (2) The prophecies of Daniel must be understood in relationship to and in light of the other prophecies of Daniel. God will establish His kingdom, and that kingdom, unlike the kingdoms of men, is eternal. Jesus applied this text to them, not as those who would enter into His kingdom, but as those who would be judged at His return. The use of the word time in Daniel is understood to be years. The final push of the times of the Gentiles will last for 3 years, then the end will come, the end of the times of the Gentiles., THE JUDGMENT AND THE FIFTH KINGDOM (Daniel 7:26-27). La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, [2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. The third beast is leopard-like, with four wings and four heads, and it is given dominion. This little horn is more intelligent and more arrogant than the other horns. The fact that wicked men will prosper and prevail and that the righteous will suffer is hardly pleasant news. They acknowledging their inability are judged to die. All of this is by divine design. In His response to the demand of the high priest, Jesus directly claimed to be the promised Messiah. Would Belshazzar toast the gods of gold, silver, wood and stone with the sacred temple vessels? Having related the dream, Daniel then interprets it: it concerns four successive kingdoms, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar, which will be replaced by the everlasting kingdom of the God of heaven. 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. Nebuchadnezzar's Threat One night, Nebuchadnezzar awoke frightened by a dream. He couldn't sleep. I did not include the insert today because I have already included it several times. In Daniels dream the Roman empire was represented by such a terrible beast that Daniel could name no animal which fit its description. 9 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. If you remember as I have already stated, much of the interpretation of this dream could be found in chapter 2. In verse 1 Daniel indicates his vision came to him in the first year of the reign of Belshazzar. During those days the revived Roman empire will be ruled by a confederation of ten kings as described by the ten toes of the statue of Daniel 2 and the ten horns of Daniels dream. 15 And there was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast might even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed (Revelation 13:4, 11-15). 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers [1]to tell him what he had dreamed. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. Yet, his emotional response was valid and changed little after the vision was explained more fully. When He came with His kingdom, they would be sure to recognize Him (24:27). They believed that the Messiah would come to establish the kingdom, to bless the Jews and to condemn the Gentiles. Other biblical prophecies bear on the prophecies of Daniel, particularly preceding or contemporary prophecies. It is significant for us to note Daniels reaction to this revelation from God. Both series of four kingdoms begin well and end badly. This takes place until the Ancient of Days comes and judgment is given to the saints, at the time the eternal kingdom becomes their possession. The only human things mentioned of the fourth beast are his eyes and his mouth. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. He intends to make changes in time and in law. The second is Daniel's dream. 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. Daniel 2:1-23 - The King's Dream (Pastor Nate Wagner) A. Nebuchadnezzar's dream. We dare not ignore that which is revealed nor do we dare go too far afield in speculating about what is concealed (see Deuteronomy 29:29; 1 Timothy 1:4; 2 Timothy 2:23). A number of lessons from our text have broad application to our thinking and conduct as Christians. We could never predict the goals God has determined, nor the means He has ordained for history to reach them. This morning we are going to go back to Daniel 7 and look at the rest of the chapter where Daniel has the dream interpreted. "He's home just in time for #gogglebox we are not on this week as Daniels been away . Thus, the vision is yet unfulfilled in terms of its major emphasis. Alexander the great and his armies did conquer the nations that became a part of his empire swiftly. 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. When the child is born, the pains of suffering are quickly lost in the joys of seeing a new life. Belshazzar came to power several years after the death of Nebuchadnezzar and seems to have turned completely away from the God of Israel. The Son of Man was also Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). His final offspring, so to speak, is the little horn which becomes the great blasphemer, whose life and kingdom is suddenly cut off by the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man. We know that Jesus came the first time to die and that He will come again to subdue His enemies and establish His kingdom. It least, the wicked will be punished, and it is too to... 1995, [ 2 ] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update lessons from text... 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