The Big Picture

We love a good mystery.  At least I do. I’m pretty sure you do too. Watching an intriguing movie or reading a good book that takes you through twists and turns, then surprises you with an ending you never expected, is such a satisfying experience. That’s why when you’re getting ready to watch a movie, you don’t want anyone to spoil the story, to spoil the experience for you. So, when someone starts telling you the end of the story before you’ve had the chance to experience it yourself, you want to stop them.  You don’t want to know. You want to discover it for yourself. That’s pretty much a universal truth.  However, there is one exception to this rule.  And that has to do with where actual history is heading. Because when we look at the chaos, evil, and suffering in our world today, most of us want to know if everything is going to work out alright.  We want to know if there will ever come a time when God will put an end to wars, senseless murders, heartbreaking loss and endless suffering. We want to know if God will finally put a stop to the senseless evil of this world and make everything right.

Spoiler Alert: God does tell us how history will end. No matter how hard life gets, no matter how much evil seems to prosper, at the end of history, God will triumph over evil. That’s hope we have in God.  At the end of the day, our God reigns and we win.

So today, as we return to the Book of Daniel, that’s what we’re going to see from Daniel 7, where Daniel is shown in a dream how history is going to play out.  Daniel is shown how God reigns in the midst of evil and eventually ends the reign of evil in this world.  So, if you brought a Bible with you this morning, let me encourage you to find Daniel 7, where Daniel’s fantastic and terrifying vision reveals to us the Big Picture of God’s Plan for all history.

For what we’re about to see from Daniel’s vision is what is called Apocalyptic Literature.  God’s message to us of the ending of this present age, which is an age characterized by evil and conflict, that will be replaced by the final age of peace. John J. Collins describes this kind of literature this way: “It shows us ahead of time the end of the kingdoms of this world and their replacement by the kingdom of our God and of His Christ. This revelation is unfolded in complex and mysterious imagery and has the purpose of comforting and exhorting the faithful.”  So, our task today is to unlock the meaning of these spectacular scenes, so we might see the big picture of God’s plan for all history and hold onto the hope of how the story ends.  So, let’s begin, by looking together at the first scene that comes through Daniel’s vision with…

The Rise of the Beasts: (The Evil Realms of Man)  In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. Daniel said, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.”  Daniel 7:1-3 I want us to note three things from this intro:

First, this dream took place in the time of Belshazzar, the arrogant and evil king whose reign ended with his death and the fall of the Babylonian empire to the Medes and Persians.  Daniel was in his mid-sixties when he received this vision from God.

Second, this is the first picture of God’s sovereignty over the kingdoms of man. The four winds of heaven are churning up the great sea. Thus, showing us how the winds of heaven reveal God’s hand was instrumental to the evil beasts that rise from the sea.

Thirdly, throughout the Scriptures, the seas were the symbol of chaos and rebellion against God. They were also considered to be the natural home of monsters such as Leviathan. What is more, these monsters were terrifying not merely because they were large and dangerous, but because they are evil, the agents of chaos and destruction.  One writer has said, “they were like the vampires and evil zombies of the most chilling and disturbing horror movie. These enormous, misshapen animals were like nothing you have ever encountered in your worst nightmares.”

So, let’s look at the rise of each of these monsters and see how they symbolize the evil kingdoms that reigned terror on our world: The first beast: “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it. Daniel 7:4 This was the kingdom of Babylon under the rule of

Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon was ferocious like a lion and swift like an eagle. However, “Its wings were torn off” picturing Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling insanity in chapter 4. Then the lion “was lifted up from the ground, set on its feet like a man, and given a human mind” picturing how God restored Nebuchadnezzar. This is the evil realm that destroyed Judah and took God’s people to live as exiles in their godless nation.

The second beast: “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’  Daniel 7:5 The second beast is Medo-Persia and is described as having three ribs in its mouth.  These ribs represent the evil reign of this realm who not only defeated Babylon, but also devoured the nations of Lydia, and Egypt, and were told to continue to devour the nations.  So, this too, was an evil, waring regime, spreading evil and destruction throughout the world.

The third beast: “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back, it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.” Daniel 7:6 The third beast was another composite animal, part leopard, part bird, with four heads. Here again, we’re reminded of God’s Sovereignty even over evil realms as “it was given authority to rule.” This authority to rule came from God and is clearly identified as Greece under the rule of Alexander the Great. With unprecedented speed and agility, this evil ruler conquered the world of his day – all the way to India – only to die suddenly at the age of 33. Stephen Miller provides helpful insight on both the symbolism and what transpired after Alexander’s death. The accuracy of biblical prophecy is truly amazing. He writes: In Scripture “heads” may represent rulers or governments, and that is the case with the leopards four heads. Daniel predicted that this one empire would ultimately evolve into four kingdoms, and this is exactly what occurred. Alexander died in 323 B.C., and after much internal struggle his generals carved the kingdom into four parts: (1) Antipater and later Cassander, gained control of Greece and Macedonia; (2) Lysimachus ruled Thrace and a large part of Asia Minor; (3) Seleucus I Nicator governed Syria, Babylon, and much of the Middle East (all of Asia Minor and Palestine); and (4) Ptolemy I Soter controlled Egypt and Palestine.

And the final beast to rise from the chaos and rebellion of mankind – The fourth beast: “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast— terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.” While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully. Daniel 7:7-8 This beast is the most frightening and evil of all. It is “incredibly strong, with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and it trampled with its feet whatever was left.” And it was of a different nature altogether from the other three beasts. It had ten horns, which symbolized a great and complete power. This final beast represents the Roman Empire.

But suddenly, Daniel’s gaze was drawn to “another horn,” a little one, which came up among them” It begins small but grows to have both great intelligence and a big mouth. All of this brings Revelation 13 to mind…  James Boice seems to be on track when he says: “This seems to be the first biblical reference to the individual later described in the Bible as the Antichrist.”  Stay tuned for there is more to come in Daniel’s vision on his role in God’s Big Picture. But for now, as in so many dreams, all of a sudden, the dream changes scenes, and Daniel now finds himself looking into another world – where he’s about to give us one of the most amazing descriptions of God in all the Bible.  For now, the scene changes to focus upon…

The Ancient of Days: Follow along as I read: “As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of His head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before Him. Thousands upon thousands attended Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. Daniel 7:9-10

“Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority but were allowed to live for a period of time.) Daniel 7:11-12 Wow, what a vision. Why such a detailed picture of God? God wanted to show Daniel that there is no other God like Him.  God wanted to open Daniel’s eyes, and our eyes to the Absolute, Unrivaled, Sovereign Authority of our God.

• “His clothing was white like snow” speaks of his holiness, purity and righteousness.
• “The hair of his head was white like wool” speaks of his eternality, purity and wisdom. The Ancient of Days has always existed, and He is wise beyond all comparison.
• “His throne was flaming fire” which speaks of purifying and righteous judgment
• “Its wheels were all ablaze” which reveals to us that there is no limitations or restrictions on his judgment. He sees everything and He is present everywhere.
• “A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him” This image reinforces the two previous ideas and conveys the righteous fury and wrath of his judgment.
• “Thousands upon thousands attended Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.” Those attending Him are the angels. And the ten thousand times ten thousand standing before Him?Who are they? And how did they get there? The biblical answer is given not by Daniel but by the apostle John, who says in the book of Revelation: After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. Revelation 7:9

John tells us who they are: “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of Godand serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will shelter them with His presence. Revelation 7:14-15 What a profound and overwhelming sight. Daniel was witness to the supreme court of the universe. Books were opened, indicating that the court was about to be in session, when all of a sudden, Daniel’s attention is drawn once more by the sound of the great words of the horn, the fearsome fourth beast. Incredibly, in the very presence of God, the final Judge Himself, the little horn still insists on being heard. Yet, no details of his trial are given. The sentence is simply carried out, the beast is killed, and its body destroyed by fire.  But then something even more profound catches Daniel’s attention, and we read,

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14

Wow! Who is this one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven? It is Christ, himself has told us who the Son of Man is. It is Him! The title Son of man was Jesus’ favorite title and was used most exclusively by him. In fact, when Jesus was arrested and tried for blasphemy before the supreme religious court, the Sanhedrin – the heart of the cross-examination came when the high priest, acting as judge, put him on oath to force him to answer a question:  The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:63-64

Jesus in the One who is given authority, glory and sovereign power by the Ancient of Days. All the nations and peoples of every language, the 100 millions standing before the throne, worship Him. As Daniel wrote: His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” In other words, the beasts of power politics, the evil realms of this world, no matter how invincible they think they are – their reigns of chaos and destruction are only temporary.  For Jesus Christ, the perfect man, the Son of Man, will come with all authority and His kingdom will never be destroyed. This is good news God wants us to see in this vision of Daniel’s. There will be a day when justice is served. There will be a day when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  The Son of Man will come.  And when He comes, there will be peace.

But there will also be something else – there will be something in store for you and for me as children of God. And that’s what we see next, as Daniel’s dream reveals to us:    3.  The End of the Story:  As he learns of (The Everlasting Kingdom To Come)  “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this. “So, he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’ Dan. 7:15-18

Spoiler alert:  At the end of the story, God reigns and we win!  We will receive the kingdom and possess it forever!  This is how the end of the story will come about: “Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left.  I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. Daniel 7:19-22

Daniel was deeply disturbed by what he saw.  As he continued to watch, something unprecedented and shocking took place: “this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them.”  He saw God’s people suffer greatly under the persecution of the little horn before the time of God’s judgment.  What does this mean?  Daniel’s interpreter explains: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever.  Daniel 7:23-26

Ten horns will grow out of the beast. If the beast represents the Roman Empire, then the ten horns are best taken as the continuation of the spirit that was so powerfully expressed in that empire.  We have witnessed that oppressive and evil spirit throughout history and in more recent times through evil regimes led by Stalin, Hitler and Pol Pot, and even Putin. But like Daniel, we want to know just who is this horn that was more imposing than the others, this evil king?  Who or what is he?

Well, let’s look at the charges against him: 1) He will speak against the Most High   2) He will persecute His holy people and 3) He will try to change times and the law.  Sinclair Ferguson describes these charges as follows: “The charges against the little horn are blasphemy, persecution of the church, and some form of self-deification. The little horn even seeks to subvert the law and transform society into a godless mass. We are given a picture of his blatant and sinister opposition to God and His rule of the world. However, his influence will last “for a time,” then it will strengthen and be consolidated for “times.” And then, just when his ever-increasing power reaches its zenith, it will be destroyed and survive only for “half a time.” The Ancient of Days will bring his activity to a halt by His righteous decree.”  Thus, the little horn of Daniel 7, is the final antichrist, the man of sin, the man of lawlessness.

Once he is judged and destroyed by the Ancient of Days, the good news is that when we arrive at the end of man’s evil kingdoms, and we receive our place in God’s Kingdom. This is the end of the story. The good news of what’s to come – for us: Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey Him.’ “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.” Daniel 7:27-28

Daniel saw it all, but he kept the matter to himself.  But what about us? What would God have us do with what He has shown us from His Word today?

First, we must never be naïve about the insidious reality of evil. There will be evil men and evil regimes from now until the final judgment.  We must not be surprised when evil seems to win the day, when ungodly men rule and seek to subvert to things of God.

Secondly, we must understand that the kingdom of God is a kingdom of suffering. The forces of evil will always bring chaos, suffering to our world, and that means we must learn to live as exiles in a world that lives in rebellion to God, and sometimes that means we must endure the chaos and suffering that comes our way.

Thirdly, we must remember that our hope is not in the kingdoms of this world, but in the King who is coming to share His kingdom with us.  So, no matter how much evil seems to prosper, we must hold onto hope.

For at the end of the day, God reigns and we win!

In other words, today we live in a world of terrifying beasts, but we shall not live in their world forever.

For there will come a day when all wrongs will be set right,

when all tyrants will be dethroned, and all that is broken will be fixed.

There will come a day when all sickness will be cured,

all sorrow will be comforted, and every tear wiped away.

And there will be a day, when even death, the last weapon of the beast, will have its power broken once for all.  And on that day, our enemy, Satan himself will be brought before the throne, he will answer for his crimes and be cast into the lake of fire forever. Then we will reign together with Him in His everlasting kingdom.

This is where all history is going. That is our hope. And God would have us hold onto this hope.  For at the end of the day, the Lord reigns and we will reign with Him.