YAHWEH’S PLAN FOR THE GENTILE NATIONS AND HIS FUTURE ETERNAL KING
Daniel 7:1-28
As taught by Dave Lindstrom
I. How Daniel chapter seven fits in with chapters two through seven and Daniel’s vision of the four great beasts (Daniel 7:1-8).
A. There is a unique structure that Daniel gives his Aramaic chapters of two through seven.
1. Chapter two is Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and chapter seven is Daniel’s dream. They both deal with the Most High giving His revelational plan for the main Gentile nations (which He controls) and His future Jewish Messiah’s eternal kingdom.
2. Chapter three is the Most High’s protection from the fiery furnace and chapter six is the Living God’s protection from the lion’s den. They both deal with the Jewish God’s power to protect His people.
3. Chapter four is the King of Heaven’s humbling of Nebuchadnezzar and chapter five is the Lord of Heaven’s humbling of Belshazzar. They both deal with the idea that the Jewish God is sovereign over human kingdoms and is the one who sets over them anyone that He wishes.
4. The message produced by Daniel chapters two through seven that was circulated in the common language of the time would have been three-fold: 1) Yahweh has a plan for the kingdoms of this world and this world will bow to His king for all eternity; 2) Yahweh will protect and be with His people through the events of this world and beyond; and 3) Yahweh has the ability and power to set up world kings and bring them down. Therefore people would be wise to trust in this God alone who is the only Most High, Living, King and Lord of Heaven and set aside all other gods.
B. The first year of Belshazzar’s reign was probably around 553 B.C. (three years after Nebonidus started and then named him co-ruler) and therefore Daniel would have been around 68 to 70 years old (Daniel 7:1)
C. Daniel’s vision of the four beasts relates very closely with Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of the statue found in chapter two (Daniel 7:2-7).
1. The great sea is usually used for the Mediterranean Sea
(Josh. 15:12 ; Ezek. 47:10) but in prophecy it means people groups and nations outside of the main believing community of Yahweh (Isa. 57:20; Rev. 17:1, 15) (Daniel 7:2, 3).
2. There are four great beasts that come out of this wind tossed churning water mass (Daniel 7:2, 3) which tie in to the four parts of the Daniel chapter two statue.
a. The lion with eagle wings was the kingdom of Babylon
(Daniel 2:37 , 38; Jer. 49:19, 22) which ruled from 605-539 B.C. The humbling and restoration of King Nebuchadnezzar describe the second part of verse 4a (see Dan. 4:28 -37).
b. The bear was the kingdom of Medo-Persia with Persia the dominant part of the kingdom. It ruled from 539–331 B.C. The three ribs are the three major conquests of the Lydian (546 B.C.), Babylonian (539 B.C.) and Egyptian (525 B.C.) Kingdoms (verse 5).
c. The leopard was the kingdom of Greece which ruled from 331 B.C. to (approx) 88 B.C. The four wings of a bird probably relates to the speed which Alexander the Great conquered the entire kingdom (around four years). The four heads prophesies the four divisions in which the empire was divided among the generals after Alexander died (verse 6, Daniel 8:8, 22; 11:4).
d. The ten-horned beast with iron teeth was the empire of Rome which ruled from around 88 B.C. to 476 A.D. They were never over-thrown by a fifth empire but were invaded by barbarian northern tribes and divided into ten tribes which became modern Europe . From the ten horns comes a little horn which will be an arrogantly boastful ruler who destroys three of the ten kings (verses 7, 8). (This will be further discussed in Daniel 7:24, 25 and Daniel chapters 8, 9, and 11).
Thought: Be encouraged with the knowledge that your God Yahweh has a plan for this world and that it is on schedule.
II. The visions of the Ancient of Days and the one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven (Daniel 7:9-14).
A. Just like in Daniel 2:44 after all four Gentile empires are discussed Yahweh’s fifth and final kingdom is set up with His own eternal king on the throne. Daniel 7:9-14 gives us more details of this future process.
B. The Ancient of Days or “advanced of days” speaks of Yahweh’s timelessness, eternality and His right as the wisest and oldest being to judge from His throne. New Testament believers usually see Him as God the Father. His white hair and clothing express His holiness (Rev. 1:14), the flaming throne on wheels His glory (Ezek. 1:4-28), and with an uncountable (“hundreds of millions”) number of angels surrounding Him, He is ready to judge (verses 9, 10).
C. The little boastful horn from verse eight is judged which signals an ending of the time that Yahweh has planned for the “time of the Gentiles” and leading up to the Son of Man’s (Christ’s) return (verses 11, 12;
Luke 21:20-28; Rom. 11:25 -27; Rev. 19:19-21).
D. The Son of Man with His saints is given the authority to rule His earthly kingdom and eternal kingdom. He is also worshipped. This is the promised Messianic King of Scriptures who turns out to be Jesus Christ the Lord (verses 13, 14; Dan. 3:4, 7; 4:1, 34; 5:19; 6:25; 7:27; Psalms 2:6-9; Matt. 24:30; 25:31; Mark 8:31 ; John 1:51; I Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 1:7,13; 11:15 ; 20: 1-6).
Thought: Praise Yahweh Father and Yahweh Son for the wonderful work they have done and will do!
III. Daniel asks the holy messenger (possibly the angel Gabriel) for added information on the fourth beast and the previously mentioned little horn (Dan. 7:15 -28).
A. He receives a synopsis of all the events in verses 17 and 18. There will be four main Gentile kingdoms and eventually the saints and Messiah will inherit a kingdom on this earth which eventually becomes eternal (verses 15-18; Rev. 2:26, 27; 20:4-6).
B. The fourth beast represents a fourth Gentile world ruler on this earth and seems to match up best with the empire of Rome around 88 B.C. – 476 A.D. After being invaded by barbarian northern tribes, it was divided up into ten tribes which became modern Europe . At the end of time, the “little horn” arises out of this ten, blasphemes the Most High, changes set times and the laws, and is allowed to wage a 3 ½ year persecution of Yahweh’s people (verses 19-25, Matt. 24:4 – 25:36; Luke 2:48, 67-70; Dan. 9:20-27; 11:38, 29; Rev. 13:1-10).
C. The “little horn” or antichrist will be judged by the Ancient of Days and the Messiah with His saints will be given the kingdom on this earth (and eventually the new earth forever) (verses 26-28; Rev. 2:26, 27; I Thes. 4:13-18; II Thes. 2:1; 19:11 – 20:6).
