Latest revision as of 14:34, 22 February 2024

Theological Proposition/Focus: Nations come and go but one truth remains God’s people will emerge victorious as they stand beside the true King, Jesus.

Homiletical Proposition/Application: Christians need to make sure their hope is wrapped up in Jesus.

Introduction: Memory Verse Daniel 6:10

10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Image: Tired of politics

I don't know about you, but I am already tired of the political ads and speech. There are times when it feels hopeless. But in reality, what I need to do when I see an ad is remember that I serve God. This fact should give me true hope.

Need: We live in a broken world we need hope, we need to recognize that our hope comes from the God of the universe.

Preview: We will be reminded that we are in the world but not of the world, we serve a living God, and one day our God is going to redeem all that is broken.

Text: Daniel 7 read all read before the first point.

Setting the Stage:

Back to the time of Belshazzar who held power for almost 15 years.

I have to admit, until just a few weeks ago I never realized that Daniel is not written in chronological order. In fact, this comes out very strongly in chapter 7 because we are back in the time of Belshazzar. So as we read through chapter 7 I want you to realize that we have Daniel sitting in the Babylonian empire under a king who has no respect for the God of the universe. Belshazzar would hold power for almost 15 years.

Nabonidus was in a self imposed exile from 553 to 543 BC and Belshazzar held a lot of power.

Nabonidus was the ruler of Babylon. However, he was absent from Babylon from 553 BC to 543 as a result of choosing to "exile" himself to Tayma in Arabia. Nobody knows why Nabonidus exiled himself but he did. For the duration of the exile the son of Nabonidus, Belshazzar served as regent in Babylon. It seems that even when Nabonidus returned Belshazzar still held power.

Daniel is living in a foreign land and subject to someone who is not even the real king, times are tumultuous.

This is the setting in which we find Daniel chapter seven. Specifically, Daniel is living in a foreign land and sitting under the rule of one who is not even king of that land. Politically, times are tumultuous and God's people probably feel abandoned and alone.

The vision of a Kingdom of priests from Exodus 19:6 is distant and God's people probably wonder if they will ever again see the greatness they once had.

The Kingdom of priests under the rule of God of Exodus 19, specifically verse 6 probably seemed so distant. For most people, it probably seemed like Israel was no more and God's chosen people were finished. But hope is not lost. The God we serve is much bigger than any speed bumps we may experience. Let's read through Daniel 7 and then break down the text.

Daniel 7:1-28

1 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.
2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
4 “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.
5 “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!’
6 “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.
7 “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.
8 “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.
9 “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. 10 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. 11 “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. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,[a] coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 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.

15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16 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: 17 ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’
19 “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. 20 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. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22 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.
23 “He gave me this explanation: ‘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. 24 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. 25 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.[b]
26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 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.’
28 “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.”^[1]

Body

God's people may not be of the world but that does not change the fact that we are in the world (1-8)

Verses 1-8 are really about the politics of the Ancient Near East. Let's dig into verse 2 and the idea of the winds of heaven are churning up the great sea. The great sea is probably a reference to the Mediterranean Sea. This is a prophecy about the Mediterranean world. The word רוּחֵ֣י which we translate as winds can also be translated as spirits. In Babylonian mythology, specifically the Enuma Elish, the Babylonian god Marduk wages war against the sea goddess Tiamat. In Canaanite mythology the god Baal wages war against the sea god Yamm. Throughout the ANE mythology depicts the sea as foreboding, dangerous, tumultuous, the task of taming the sea is something that only the chief god can do. Here we see the four winds, four represents totality, stirring up the sea. The idea here is that God has not just defeated the sea, He is in complete control. The events, the politics, of the Mediterranean world are under the control of the God of the universe who uses the winds, the spirits to execute his will across the world.

In Daniels dream, the churning sea produces four beasts. Four leaders. As we read this account we are to understand that these emerging from the sea are subject to God. He is in control. Leaders do not rise and fall by accident!

God's people are called to submit to rulers and authorities.

The beasts themselves are symbolic.

The first beast, a lion with the wings of an eagle is representative of Babylon.

In fact, Jeremiah had describe Babylon as a lion in Jeremiah 4:7 and Ezekiel had described Babylon as an eagle in Ezekiel 17:3.

The picture of the wings being torn off and then the beast being brought up from the ground to stand on two feet is probably supposed to remind us of Nebuchadnezzar's humbling to be like a beast followed by his humble restoration.

Daniel had been forced to submit to the rule of Nebuchadnezzar.

In general, God's people are subject to the rule of those God has placed in authority. Even when they oppose God, we are subject to their rule. God has allowed them to rule.

In general,

God's people may find themselves under a wide range of rulers.

The second beast is a bear. The bear likely represents the Medo-persian empire.

The three ribs in the bears mouth may represent three kingdoms that the Media-persian empire devoured in its rise to power.

Notice in verse 5 that the bear is told to eat its fill of flesh. The Bear was not operating of its own volition but was still subject to God.

The leopard that comes up next has wings that make the normally swift animal even more formidable.

The kingdom of Greece conquered the entire empire at breakneck speed under Alexander the Great between 334 and 330 BC.

Upon his death, Alexander's empire was divided among four kings.

Again, the beast is given authority to rule. In an of itself the beast has no authority.

God's people may even find themselves under rulers who directly oppose the people of God.

The fourth beast is troubling. In fact, Daniel is very troubled by the beast in verse 19. I don't want us to get to caught up in the details of this fourth beast but at the same time we need to talk a little about it. The explanation of the fourth beast comes in verses 19-28.

What do we know from this vision?

There is a coming world wide empire.

This empire will be ferocious and trample those who oppose it.

The ten horns we are told in verse 24 are ten kings. However, there will be one king who is unlike any other and this king will directly oppose the people of God. In fact, this king will directly oppose God. He will even gain the upper hand against God's people for a time, times, and half a time.

So, what does this mean? How has this or will this be fulfilled? Honestly, I am not completely sure, but I do have a theory.

I believe much of this will be fulfilled in the tribulation.

The Roman Empire kinda just fell apart, it really wasn't conquered. Ruler's rise and fall but I believe that sometime in the future, in a time commonly referred to as the tribulation, there will arise a ruler who brings the entire world under his rule. This ruler will also oppose God's people and speak directly against God. The ruler will even we allowed to have what appears to be victory and control over God's people for a period of 3.5 years. However, in the end this ruler will fall before God. So, that is what I believe, and I am happy to talk about the why and more specifics later. But for now what I want you to realize is that God's people may even find themselves under rulers who directly oppose the people of God. You may find yourself under the authority of someone who opposed God. Why? because God has allowed it. We are in enemy territory but only because God allows it.

MTR: Take a second to acknowledge the reality that we live in hostile enemy territory.

Before we get too down because of our position in hostile territory. We need to also recognize that while the territory is hostile that does not mean that we are doomed. We must remember our God. Specifically,

God's people must remember that God's Not Dead (9-11).

The horn with eyes speaking boastfully is contrasted with the God of the universe. The horn of verse 8 is shocking and powerful, but the horn has not always been. No, the eternal Ancient of Days is the one that has always been. The title Ancient of Days only occurs three times in the entire Bible and all three of those instances are in Daniel (verses 9, 13, 22). The beasts mentioned earlier all have a beginning and an end. the Ancient of Days is eternal. The beasts rise, rule, and die. But God is not dead and never will die. The Ancient of Days has always been and always will be. So what do we see from this living god?

The living God is holy.

Poetry is used to emphasize purity. White clothing -> holiness, white hair -> holiness and age,

The poetry of the text begins by emphasizing the purity of the ancient of Days. The clothing is white reminding us of holiness. The hair is white reminding us again of both holiness and age. The text intends to overwhelm our senses with the description of God.

We can compare Daniel's description of God's holiness with Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1b-4

I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
^[2]

God's holiness is used to describe two aspects of God. First, God's holiness refers to the fact that he is entirely separate from creation. The second way the Bible described "God’s holiness is by describing his pure and incorruptible presence, ^[3] The white clothes and white hair work together to picture this completely incorruptible nature of God.

The living God is active.

If God were simply holy, separate, that would be incredible, but there is more. God is not only holy, God is active. The throne being a flaming fire reminds us that God is working to purify. I believe that the wheels on the throne are intended to convey the idea that God is moving throughout creation and purifying. God is not simply stationary fixed in his own holiness and absent from creation. God is active working to purify creation. We are utterly corrupt but God purifies and redeems that which is corrupt. The statement God is not Dead is more than just a static statement about God's existence it is a proclamation that God is working within each of us.

The living God will judge.

Our scene of the throne room reaches culmination at the end of verse 10.

Thousands upon thousands are present and court is about to begin.

Daniel's name means God is my judge and here Daniel is able to witness first hand what that means.

The books are opened in order that the defendants might be investigated. In context the book opened here is likely a summary of the stewardship of the beasts. However, God is not just one who judges leaders. God will judge each of us. Thankfully, for those who know Jesus as their personal Savior the ultimate judgement will be very good as our names are written in the Book of Life. Look at Revelation 20:11-15.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.^[4]

Image: The waterfall at the end of a long hike. (Hanging Lake - 1.2 miles 1000 feet crystal clear 25 feet deep)

I grew up in Colorado and love going for hikes. I have been on some hard hikes. There are times when the hike is long, hard and arduous but then you turn the last bend and suddenly the trees break and you are confronted with an epic waterfall. or a beautiful perfectly clear lake and you complete forget about the difficult hike you had to get there. One of my favorite hikes in Colorado was the Hanging Lake trail. The trail is 1.2 miles but you climb over 1000 feet in that time. However, when you reach the top the lake is amazing. The lake itself is 25 feet deep, not too deep but the bottom is crystal clear. The hike, moderate, the reward well worth it. The picture of God's throne room is a reminder that what we endure on our way to God's eternal kingdom is worth it. God is not dead and he will be worth it.

MTR: Take a second to meditate on God.

God's people must remember that Jesus will fix all that is wrong (11-14).

Let me start by just stating.

Jesus will depose and judge the rulers of the world (11-12, Revelation 19:19-21).

In verse 11 Daniel returns back to his vision of the beasts. These beasts represent world empires and the rulers of those empires.

In verse 12 we are reminded that God is sovereign over the empires of the world. He strips power from world rulers as he sees fit.

The Babylonian Empire fell, it was not wiped out, but the people assimilated into the Medo-Persian empire.

The empire fell but elements were allowed to continue.

The Media-Persian empire fell to the Greeks but again elements of their culture, their empire were retained.

The Greek empire fell to the romans but a significant amount of culture was retained.

These empires all rose, and fell, were stripped of power, but have been allowed to live on through culture.

The boastful fourth beast and his empire will be completely destroyed.

I will get to the part where I say that Jesus is the one who destroys this final empire later. But for right now I want you to understand that throughout history God has sovereignly controlled the kingdoms of the world but he has chosen to allow elements of worldly kingdoms to continue. However, a time is coming when God is going to swiftly act and remove the kingdoms of the world as he establishes his kingdom.

This is exactly what is described in Revelation 19:19-21.

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

We live in a world that is broken. Our rulers, our governments, our leaders often reject God's people, oppress God's people, but more, speak boastfully against God. This has been going on for thousands of years. However, we must realize that 1) it is going to get worse before it get's better and 2) it is going to get better.

How do we know this? Because we know the King who is going to fix it, we know the only one worthy to go before God the Father and bring about redemption of all that is wrong.

Jesus has the credentials to approach God the Father.

Verses 9-10 were constructed to remind us of God's holiness. We are supposed to see God as unapproachable, completely righteous, and completely above each of us. In verse 13 we learn that there is a man who is capable of approaching the holy God of the universe. The description "one like a son of man" is incredibly important. First, this should be held in contrast with the beasts who emerged earlier in the chapter. The rulers of this world are often tyrants, ego-maniacs, self-centered, and focussed on their own power. They use and abuse anyone to get to more power. Frankly, the rulers of our world are for lack of a better term, beasts. In contrast, the ruler that God will set-up is described as "one like a son of man." I think we are supposed to read into this that God's ruler is a true humanitarian.

In the Gospels one of the titles that Jesus uses the most for himself is Son of Man.

In fact, Jesus uses the title of himself 78 times in the Gospels.

"There are four general ways in which Jesus uses “Son of Man” language in the New Testament Gospels: 1) to refer to Himself; 2) to describe His authority and earthly ministry; 3) to anticipate His suffering and death; and 4) to anticipate His future exaltation and glory^[5]." To what we have here is an important prophecy about Jesus.

In Daniel 7 we learn that God's future ruler will be like a man, in the Gospels we learn he was fully man.

We see he is coming in the "clouds of heaven" The word here for clouds can mean rain clouds but more often than not in the Bible this word refers not to rain clouds but rather to theophanies, that is an appearance of God himself^[6]. Moreover, we learn in verse 13 that this one who comes is worthy to approach the Ancient of Days, God the Father. So here we have something really important. God will send a ruler who is God and like a man.

God himself rides the clouds suggesting that the Son of Man is none other than God.

We need to not miss the significance of this passage. In Daniel's ANE context riding the clouds should not be thought of as someone simply floating into the room. No, I think we should picture Jesus riding the clouds like a Chariot. The problem is that the Old Testament speaks of YHWH as the one who rides the clouds.

Psalm 104:3 states,

and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

Other passages speak of YHWH riding the clouds in judgement. For example Isaiah 19:1. The issue, YHWH is on the fiery throne in the vision here so the only conclusion is that YHWH is in two places in this vision. Specifically, this vision is a strong statement about the Trinity.

Jesus will establish his eternal kingdom.

Verse 14 reminds us that Jesus will establish his eternal kingdom and that everything will be under Jesus.

He is given all glory, authority, sovereign power, nations, and peoples.

When Jesus used the title "Son of Man" to describe himself he is claiming nothing short of deity!

Now for a final important question. Is this really Jesus who fulfills this vision?

The resurrection is all the proof we need! (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)

Here is a reality I want us to settle into.

Jesus claimed to be God. But more than just claiming to be God, Jesus proved he was God.

Colossians 2:14-15 states

14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 summarizes everything nicely.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Our hope is in Jesus because he came, he died for our sins, and he rose from the dead.

MTR: Place your hope entirely in King Jesus.

↑ Daniel 7 NIV
↑ The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Is 6:1–4.
↑ J. Owen Carroll, “God’s Holiness,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).
↑ NIV
↑ Leslie T. Hardin and Derek Brown, “Son of Man,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
↑ Widder, Wendy L. Daniel. Zondervan Academic, 2016, 379.

[1] Daniel 7 NIV

[2] The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Is 6:1–4.

[3] J. Owen Carroll, “God’s Holiness,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).

[4] NIV

[5] Leslie T. Hardin and Derek Brown, “Son of Man,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

[6] Widder, Wendy L. Daniel. Zondervan Academic, 2016, 379.

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@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 '''Homiletical Proposition/Application: Christians need to make sure their hope is wrapped up in Jesus.'''
-=Introduction:=
+=Introduction: Memory Verse Daniel 6:10=
+<blockquote>10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.</blockquote>
+==Image: Tired of politics==
+I don't know about you, but I am already tired of the political ads and speech. There are times when it feels hopeless. But in reality, what I need to do when I see an ad is remember that I serve God. This fact should give me true hope.
-==Image:==
 ==Need: We live in a broken world we need hope, we need to recognize that our hope comes from the God of the universe.==
 ==Preview: We will be reminded that we are in the world but not of the world, we serve a living God, and one day our God is going to redeem all that is broken.==
@@ Line 11: / Line 13: @@
 ==Setting the Stage:==
+====Back to the time of Belshazzar who held power for almost 15 years.====
 I have to admit, until just a few weeks ago I never realized that Daniel is not written in chronological order. In fact, this comes out very strongly in chapter 7 because we are back in the time of Belshazzar. So as we read through chapter 7 I want you to realize that we have Daniel sitting in the Babylonian empire under a king who has no respect for the God of the universe. Belshazzar would hold power for almost 15 years.
+=====Nabonidus was in a self imposed exile from 553 to 543 BC and Belshazzar held a lot of power.=====
+Nabonidus was the ruler of Babylon. However, he was absent from Babylon from 553 BC to 543 as a result of choosing to "exile" himself to Tayma in Arabia. Nobody knows why Nabonidus exiled himself but he did. For the duration of the exile the son of Nabonidus, Belshazzar served as regent in Babylon.  It seems that even when Nabonidus returned Belshazzar still held power.
+=====Daniel is living in a foreign land and subject to someone who is not even the real king, times are tumultuous.=====
+This is the setting in which we find Daniel chapter seven. Specifically, Daniel is living in a foreign land and sitting under the rule of one who is not even king of that land. Politically, times are tumultuous and God's people probably feel abandoned and alone.
+=====The vision of a Kingdom of priests from Exodus 19:6 is distant and God's people probably wonder if they will ever again see the greatness they once had.=====
+The Kingdom of priests under  the rule of God of Exodus 19, specifically verse 6 probably seemed so distant. For most people, it probably seemed like Israel was no more and God's chosen people were finished. But hope is not lost. The God we serve is much bigger than any speed bumps we may experience. Let's read through Daniel 7 and then break down the text.
+====Daniel 7:1-28====
+<blockquote>
+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. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
+“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.
+“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!’
+“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.
+“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.
+“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.
+“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. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
+“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,[a] coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 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.
+“I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16 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: 17 ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’
-Nabonidus was the ruler of Babylon. However, he was absent from Babylon from 553 BC to 543 as a result of choosing to "exile" himself to Tayma in Arabia. Nobody knows why Nabonidus exiled himself but he did. For the duration of the exile the son of Nabonidus, Belshazzar served as regent in Babylon.  It seems that even when Nabonidus returned Belshazzar still held power.
+“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. 20 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. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22 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.
-This is the setting in which we find Daniel chapter seven.
+“He gave me this explanation: ‘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. 24 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. 25 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.[b]
+“‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 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.”<ref>Daniel 7 NIV</ref>
+</blockquote>
 =Body=
 ==God's people may not be of the ''world'' but that does not change the fact that we are in the ''world'' (1-8)==
+<p>
+Verses 1-8 are really about the politics of the Ancient Near East. Let's dig into verse 2 and the idea of the winds of heaven are churning up the great sea. The great sea is probably a reference to the Mediterranean Sea. This is a prophecy about the Mediterranean world. The word <mark>רוּחֵ֣י</mark> which we translate as winds can also be translated as spirits. In Babylonian mythology, specifically the <mark>Enuma Elish</mark>, the Babylonian god Marduk wages war against the sea goddess Tiamat. In Canaanite mythology the god Baal wages war against the sea god Yamm. Throughout the ANE mythology depicts the sea as foreboding, dangerous, tumultuous, the task of taming the sea is something that only the chief god can do. Here we see the four winds, four represents totality, stirring up the sea. The idea here is that God has not just defeated the sea, He is in complete control. <mark>The events, the politics, of the Mediterranean world are under the control of the God of the universe who uses the winds, the spirits to execute his will across the world.</mark>
+</p>
+<p>
+In Daniels dream, the churning sea produces four beasts. Four leaders. As we read this account we are to understand that these emerging from the sea are <mark>subject to God</mark>. He is in control. Leaders do not rise and fall by accident!
+</p>
 ===God's people are called to submit to rulers and authorities.===
+The beasts themselves are symbolic.
+====The first beast, a lion with the wings of an eagle is representative of Babylon.====
+=====In fact, Jeremiah had describe Babylon as a lion in Jeremiah 4:7 and Ezekiel had described Babylon as an eagle in Ezekiel 17:3.=====
+=====The picture of the wings being torn off and then the beast being brought up from the ground to stand on two feet is probably supposed to remind us of Nebuchadnezzar's humbling to be like a beast followed by his humble restoration.=====
+====Daniel had been forced to submit to the rule of Nebuchadnezzar.====
+=====In general, God's people are subject to the rule of those God has placed in authority. Even when they oppose God, we are subject to their rule. God has allowed them to rule.=====
+In general,
 ===God's people may find themselves under a wide range of rulers.===
+====The second beast is a bear. The bear likely represents the Medo-persian empire.====
+=====The three ribs in the bears mouth may represent three kingdoms that the Media-persian empire devoured in its rise to power.=====
+=====Notice in verse 5 that the bear is told to eat its fill of flesh. The Bear was not operating of its own volition but was still subject to God.=====
+====The leopard that comes up next has wings that make the normally swift animal even more formidable.====
+=====The kingdom of Greece conquered the entire empire at breakneck speed under Alexander the Great between 334 and 330 BC.=====
+=====Upon his death, Alexander's empire was divided among four kings.=====
+====Again, the beast is given authority to rule. In an of itself the beast has no authority.====
 ===God's people may even find themselves under rulers who directly oppose the people of God.===
-===Image: ===
+<p>The fourth beast is troubling. In fact, Daniel is very troubled by the beast in verse 19. I don't want us to get to caught up in the details of this fourth beast but at the same time we need to talk a little about it. The explanation of the fourth beast comes in verses 19-28.</p>
+What do we know from this vision?
+====There is a coming world wide empire.====
+=====This empire will be ferocious and trample those who oppose it.=====
+=====The ten horns we are told in verse 24 are ten kings. However, there will be one king who is unlike any other and this king will directly oppose the people of God. In fact, this king will directly oppose God. <mark>He will even gain the upper hand against God's people for a time, times, and half a time.</mark>=====
+<p>So, what does this mean? How has this or will this be fulfilled? Honestly, I am not completely sure, but I do have a theory.</p>
+====I believe much of this will be fulfilled in the tribulation.====
+The Roman Empire kinda just fell apart, it really wasn't conquered. Ruler's rise and fall but I believe that sometime in the future, in a time commonly referred to as the tribulation, there will arise a ruler who brings the entire world under his rule. This ruler will also oppose God's people and speak directly against God. The ruler will even we allowed to have what appears to be victory and control over God's people for a period of 3.5 years. However, in the end this ruler will fall before God. So, that is what I believe, and I am happy to talk about the why and more specifics later. But for now what I want you to realize is that God's people may even find themselves under rulers who directly oppose the people of God. You may find yourself under the authority of someone who opposed God. Why? because God has allowed it. We are in enemy territory but only because God allows it.
 ===MTR: Take a second to acknowledge the reality that we live in hostile enemy territory.===
+Before we get too down because of our position in hostile territory. We need to also recognize that while the territory is hostile that does not mean that we are doomed. We must remember our God. Specifically,
 ==God's people must remember that ''God's'' ''Not'' ''Dead'' (9-11).==
+<p>The horn with eyes speaking boastfully is contrasted with the God of the universe. The horn of verse 8 is shocking and powerful, but the horn has not always been. No, the eternal Ancient of Days is the one that has always been. The title Ancient of Days only occurs three times in the entire Bible and all three of those instances are in Daniel (verses 9, 13, 22). The beasts mentioned earlier all have a beginning and an end. the Ancient of Days is eternal. The beasts rise, rule, and die. But God is not dead and never will die. The Ancient of Days has always been and always will be. So what do we see from this living god?</p>
 ===The living God is holy.===
+====Poetry is used to emphasize purity. White clothing -> holiness, white hair -> holiness and age,====
+The poetry of the text begins by emphasizing the purity of the ancient of Days. The clothing is white reminding us of holiness. The hair is white reminding us again of both holiness and age. The text intends to overwhelm our senses with the description of God.
+====We can compare Daniel's description of God's holiness with Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1b-4====
+<blockquote>
+<p>
+I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
+         “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
+         the whole earth is full of his glory.”
+ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. </p><ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Is 6:1–4.</ref>
+</blockquote>
+<p>
+God's holiness is used to describe two aspects of God. First, God's holiness refers to the fact that he is entirely separate from creation. The second way the Bible described "God’s holiness is by describing his pure and incorruptible presence, <ref>J. Owen Carroll, “God’s Holiness,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).</ref> The white clothes and white hair work together to picture this completely incorruptible nature of God.
 ===The living God is active.===
-===The living God is sovereign===
+If God were simply holy, separate, that would be incredible, but there is more. God is not only holy, God is active. The throne being a flaming fire reminds us that God is working to purify. I believe that the wheels on the throne are intended to convey the idea that God is moving throughout creation and purifying. God is not simply stationary fixed in his own holiness and absent from creation. God is active working to purify creation. We are utterly corrupt but God purifies and redeems that which is corrupt. The statement God is not Dead is more than just a static statement about God's existence it is a proclamation that God is working within each of us. </p>
 ===The living God will judge.===
-===Image:===
-===MTR: Take a second to meditate on God's reign.===
+====Our scene of the throne room reaches culmination at the end of verse 10.====
+=====Thousands upon thousands are present and court is about to begin.=====
+=====Daniel's name means God is my judge and here Daniel is able to witness first hand what that means.=====
+<p>The books are opened in order that the defendants might be investigated. In context the book opened here is likely a summary of the stewardship of the beasts. However, God is not just one who judges leaders. God will judge each of us. Thankfully, for those who know Jesus as their personal Savior the ultimate judgement will be very good as our names are written in the Book of Life.
+Look at Revelation 20:11-15.
+<blockquote>
+Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.<ref>NIV</ref>
+</blockquote>
+</p>
+===Image: The waterfall at the end of a long hike. (Hanging Lake - 1.2 miles 1000 feet crystal clear 25 feet deep)===
+I grew up in Colorado and love going for hikes. I have been on some hard hikes. There are times when the hike is long, hard and arduous but then you turn the last bend and suddenly the trees break and you are confronted with an epic waterfall. or a beautiful perfectly clear lake and you complete forget about the difficult hike you had to get there. One of my favorite hikes in Colorado was the Hanging Lake trail. The trail is 1.2 miles but you climb over 1000 feet in that time. However, when you reach the top the lake is amazing. The lake itself is 25 feet deep, not too deep but the bottom is crystal clear. The hike, moderate, the reward well worth it.  The picture of God's throne room is a reminder that what we endure on our way to God's eternal kingdom is worth it. God is not dead and he will be worth it.
+===MTR: Take a second to meditate on God.===
 ==God's people must remember that Jesus will fix all that is wrong (11-14).==
-===Jesus will depose and judge the rulers of the world.===
+Let me start by just stating.
+===Jesus will depose and judge the rulers of the world (11-12, Revelation 19:19-21).===
+====In verse 11 Daniel returns back to his vision of the beasts. These beasts represent world empires and the rulers of those empires.====
+====In verse 12 we are reminded that God is sovereign over the empires of the world. He strips power from world rulers as he sees fit.====
+=====The Babylonian Empire fell, it was not wiped out, but the people assimilated into the Medo-Persian empire.=====
+The empire fell but elements were allowed to continue.
+=====The Media-Persian empire fell to the Greeks but again elements of their culture, their empire were retained.=====
+=====The Greek empire fell to the romans but a significant amount of culture was retained.=====
+====These empires all rose, and fell, were stripped of power, but have been allowed to live on through culture.====
+====The boastful fourth beast and his empire will be completely destroyed.====
+<p>I will get to the part where I say that Jesus is the one who destroys this final empire later. But for right now I want you to understand that throughout history God has sovereignly controlled the kingdoms of the world but he has chosen to allow elements of worldly kingdoms to continue. However, a time is coming when God is going to swiftly act and remove the kingdoms of the world as he establishes his kingdom. </p>
+====This is exactly what is described in Revelation 19:19-21.====
+<blockquote>
+Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
+</blockquote>
+We live in a world that is broken. Our rulers, our governments, our leaders often reject God's people, oppress God's people, but more, speak boastfully against God. This has been going on for thousands of years. However, we must realize that 1) it is going to get worse before it get's better and 2) it is going to get better.
+How do we know this? Because we know the King who is going to fix it, we know the only one worthy to go before God the Father and bring about redemption of all that is wrong.
 ===Jesus has the credentials to approach God the Father.===
+<p>
+Verses 9-10 were constructed to remind us of God's holiness. We are supposed to see God as unapproachable, completely righteous, and completely above each of us. In verse 13 we learn that there is a man who is capable of approaching the holy God of the universe. The description "one like a son of man" is incredibly important. First, this should be held in contrast with the beasts who emerged earlier in the chapter. The rulers of this world are often tyrants, ego-maniacs, self-centered, and focussed on their own power. They use and abuse anyone to get to more power. Frankly, the rulers of our world are for lack of a better term, beasts. In contrast, the ruler that God will set-up is described as "one like a son of man." I think we are supposed to read into this that God's ruler is a true humanitarian.
+</p>
+====In the Gospels one of the titles that Jesus uses the most for himself is Son of Man.====
+=====In fact, Jesus uses the title of himself 78 times in the Gospels.=====
+<p>"There are four general ways in which Jesus uses “Son of Man” language in the New Testament Gospels: 1) to refer to Himself; 2) to describe His authority and earthly ministry; 3) to anticipate His suffering and death; and 4) to anticipate His future exaltation and glory<ref>Leslie T. Hardin and Derek Brown, “Son of Man,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).</ref>." To what we have here is an important prophecy about Jesus. </p>
+=====In Daniel 7 we learn that God's future ruler will be like a man, in the Gospels we learn he was fully man.=====
+<p>We see he is coming in the "clouds of heaven" The word here for clouds can mean rain clouds but more often than not in the Bible this word refers not to rain clouds but rather to theophanies, that is an appearance of God himself<ref>Widder, Wendy L. Daniel. Zondervan Academic, 2016, 379.</ref>.  Moreover, we learn in verse 13 that this one who comes is worthy to approach the Ancient of Days, God the Father. So here we have something really important. God will send a ruler who is God and like a man.</p>
+====God himself rides the clouds suggesting that the Son of Man is none other than God.====
+We need to not miss the significance of this passage. In Daniel's ANE context riding the clouds should not be thought of as someone simply floating into the room. No, I think we should picture Jesus riding the clouds like a Chariot. The problem is that the Old Testament speaks of YHWH as the one who rides the clouds.
+=====Psalm 104:3 states,=====
+<p><blockquote>
+and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
+He makes the clouds his chariot
+    and rides on the wings of the wind.
+</blockquote></p>
+Other passages speak of YHWH riding the clouds in judgement. For example Isaiah 19:1. The issue, YHWH is on the fiery throne in the vision here so the only conclusion is that YHWH is in two places in this vision. Specifically, this vision is a strong statement about the Trinity.
 ===Jesus will establish his eternal kingdom.===
-===Image:===
+=====Verse 14 reminds us that Jesus will establish his eternal kingdom and that everything will be under Jesus.=====
+He is given all glory, authority, sovereign power, nations, and peoples.
+=====When Jesus used the title "Son of Man" to describe himself he is claiming nothing short of deity!=====
+=====Now for a final important question. Is this really Jesus who fulfills this vision?=====
+===The resurrection is all the proof we need! (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)===
+Here is a reality I want us to settle into.
+====Jesus claimed to be God. But more than just claiming to be God, Jesus proved he was God.====
+=====Colossians 2:14-15 states =====
+<blockquote>
+having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
+</blockquote>
+=====1 Corinthians 15:20-28 summarizes everything nicely.=====
+<blockquote>
+But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
+</blockquote>
+=====Our hope is in Jesus because he came, he died for our sins, and he rose from the dead.=====
 ===MTR: Place your hope entirely in King Jesus.===
 [[Category:Sermons]]

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