Those of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, and Darius all agree with the prophecy of Daniel 7. If a man cannot remember the dream he saw (it means): his (personal) god is angry with him. The words of Daniel which applied to the beasts now found application to them. 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. The fact that wicked men will prosper and prevail and that the righteous will suffer is hardly pleasant news. God also allows the wicked to persist and even to prosper, so that those whom He has chosen might be saved (Romans 9:22-24). Humanly speaking, it was impossible for them to have a child. A look through the Scriptures shows that Daniels response to the prophecies he received was not unique. Daniel returned to his house and explained the situation to his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel is greatly distressed by the vision which he sees in chapter 7. In his vision, Daniel observed the sea being stirred up into a raging storm by the four winds of heaven. This signifies that the events which follow have been ordained by God. 9:1; 12:1, AV, RV), and the book of Daniel insists here and in subsequent chapters (8:27; 10:1, 10, 11, 15, 18) on the anxiety and psychological turmoil involved in receiving, even at Gods hand, understanding of the future course of history. Joyce C. Baldwin, Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1978), p. 143. When that day comes for them, it is too late to repent. These will continue to be separate nations in the confederation but will come under the little horns control and authority. March 1, 2023, 6:00 a.m. Lets pray and ask God to teach us and guide us as we look at His prophetic word. 18 But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. 19 Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts, and which was larger in appearance than its associates. 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. He intends to make changes in time and in law. 17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He will keep continual pressure on the saints of the Highest One to try to break and destroy and annihilate them. This description certainly fits the account of Nebuchadnezzars plunge from power and sanity in chapter 4. The third portion of the statue in Daniel 2 was the belly and thighs of bronze which represented the Greek empire. Verse 17. And they did! This chapter is a history, but it is the history of a prophecy, by a dream and the interpretation . 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. The first of Daniel's four beasts is "like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle" ( Daniel 7:4 ). Upon hearing the details of the dream, Daniel too was troubled (4:19). Both the statue parts (made of different metals) and the beasts represent kings and kingdoms. He is more beastly in the beginning and more human in the end, paralleling the character of Nebuchadnezzar. It therefore seems that the two prophecies speak of the same four kingdoms by means of different imagery. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 5. It is good for us to understand the theology of the end-times, but we must approach it with reverence. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.. 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. He could not figure out what the dream meant, so he wanted his advisors to explain it to him. Before the kingdom of God is established on the earth, four earthly kingdoms will rise and fall. If not, he could never have become airborne again. (7) No identification is made of the saints as Jews or Gentiles. There seems to be no Jewish nationalistic emphasis here, as there will be later.75. Episode 5 of "How I Met Your Father" Season 2 tested the friendships of everyone in the group. 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. He gave Daniel a general summary of the dream, These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. Not only was he greatly alarmed and physically sick, but he says he also kept the matter to himself. He will also send forth His angels to gather those who do not belong in His kingdom (12:41). (5) Prophecy is not written as hype but revealed to produce the hope of glory and endurance in present tribulation. When the court sits for judgment, his dominion is taken from him and he is destroyed forever. These saints are the believing Jews of the tribulation, not the believers of the Church Age. Prophecy greatly benefits the Christian because it enables him to see things from the bigger and broader perspectivefrom Gods perspectiveso that when he suffers, he knows it is but a part of the process of getting to glory. It is significant for us to note Daniels reaction to this revelation from God. What God determined to reveal to Daniel should be enough for us. We are not told precisely what it is that troubles Daniel. (3) These prophecies must be understood in light of their historical background as provided in Daniel, in the inspired revelation provided by other portions of Scripture, and the cautious use of supplementary information by reliable historical documents or study. Considering this text has changed my opinion about the gap in the prophecies of the Old Testament. In fact, Daniel has trouble interpreting some of his own dreams. Daniel was not satisfied with just a summary of his dream, especially of the fourth beast that was so different than the other three, he wanted more detail. History has shown this to be true in the past, and prophecy assures us that it will be true in the future. Nebuchadnezzar's Dream ( Daniel 2:1-16) Say: Some time later, the King had a dream. Specifically, the account of The Bad News at Belshazzars Banquet (not a bad title for that lesson) in chapter 5 was given to us so that we could better understand the prophecies of chapters 7 and 8. (3) This chapter contains the major segment of Daniel, which is primarily prophetic, although it does not contain the first prophecy in the Book of Daniel. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. The angel went on in this summary to tell Daniel that the saints of the Highest One would receive the kingdom and possess it forever. 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. This scene in Daniel is also similar to a prophecy recorded in the Book of Revelation: 4 and they worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?. Daniel approached one of theses angels and began to ask him to explain to him the meaning or the truth concerning all that he had seen in his visions. Neither peer opposition nor the king's new law (chapter 6) greatly disturbed Daniel. He questioned His disciples so that they could confess that He, the Son of Man, was the Messiah (16:13f.). I encourage you to compare the statements of Daniel 2:21-22, 44, 47; 4:3, 34-35, 37; 6:26 with the content and declarations of Daniel 7. Daniel's righteousness is legendary status Don't mistake Daniel as some conjurer of cheap tricks. And the high priest said to Him, I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus said to him, You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, AND COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN (Matthew 26:59-64). La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, [2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. 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. Because of this we can have a greater understanding of this dream than Daniel did. In chapter 5, King Belshazzars dream should have greatly alarmed him, but apparantly it did not. God grants this king success and his saints suffering, but only for an appointed time. (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. Please stand in honor of the reading of Gods Word and follow along as I read verses 15-28. The expression is used in the Psalms in a more pregnant way, in reference to the coming Messiah. 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. The beasts are a horrifying and frightening sight; the heavenly court scene is one of regal splendor and beauty. He had lived through the overthrow of his people, his nation, and his hometown by a foreign power, he had been torn from his family and carried off into captivity. 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. Just so, Christs suffering and glory is but a part of one coming. (6) Prophecy is written to sober the saints. Gods plan and program are carried out on His schedule, not ours (see 2 Peter 2:8-10). According to verse 1, the written record of the revelation Daniel received in his first night vision is but a summary of the prophecy he received. Child-bearing is a process which involves suffering and glory. We know that Jesus came the first time to die and that He will come again to subdue His enemies and establish His kingdom. The second time, the expression is used in reference to Daniel himself, as it will be used very frequently in Ezekiel to refer to this great prophet: So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end (Daniel 8:17). His vision in chapter 4 should have produced more distress than it did. Daniel 2:26-49 Daniel was told that the beasts are kings, but he was not told the identity of any of the kings. [1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. The coming of the Son of Man is represented as one coming, and not two. She makes it clear in a rather public fashion that she finds him desirable. A true account of what happened can only be gathered by reading Daniel 2:18; Daniel 2:28 by the side of this verse. First, the prophecies of Daniel are divinely inspired and revealed, and thus they are true and reliable. Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation. We have already seen this phrase time, times, and half a time in Revelation. The fulfillment of the prophecy of Belshazzars demise underscores the certainty of the fulfillment of Daniels vision in the last days. Daniel boiled down his vision to its essence, so we would not fail to understand the message he meant to convey to us. It was said ( ch. 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. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. During this ten-nation confederation another ruler will rise as described by the little horn. 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. The timeline reads as follows: Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. (1) Daniel 7 is the last chapter written in Aramaic in the Book of Daniel. 3:15; Zc. Suddenly, the boasting beast is silenced by death, and his body is cast into the burning fire. Thus, the vision is yet unfulfilled in terms of its major emphasis. 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. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. If you remember as I have already stated, much of the interpretation of this dream could be found in chapter 2. (19-26) Daniel explains the rise and coming fall of Nebuchadnezzar. Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. Before long, Daniel was explaining the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar. Prophecy is always practical and relevant to the person(s) receiving it. Yet, his emotional response was valid and changed little after the vision was explained more fully. (8) Is there any relationship between Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter 2 and Daniels dream in chapter 7? Belshazzars rise to power and ascent to the throne seems to have inaugurated a new age for Babylon. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:13, NASB95)[5] The more we know about the future the more are hearts should be moved to practical preparation. The angel says the Antichrist will seek to make alterations in times and in law. We are told the Old Testament prophet could not see the distance between the first and the second coming of our Lord, just as one cannot see the distance between two mountains, when viewed from afar. When they came in and stood before the king, 3 I did not include the insert today because I have already included it several times. But here in chapter 7, as in Psalm 80:17, the son of man is more than just a man, He is the Messiah. The other three are removed from power but allowed to live for some time after their removal (verse 12). So it was for our Lord (1 Peter 1:10-12), and so it will be for us. Daniel writes that at this point the revelation was ended. The visions explanation was not thorough enough to satisfy Daniel. 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