DANIEL SIMPLIFIED

 

CHAPTER 7.12

Gleanings from the Book of Daniel:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

 

DANIEL

 

Chapter Seven

The Ancient of Days

The Four Beasts

(Continued)

 

Preface

Chapter 7 opened with Daniel having a dream and receiving a vision of four great beasts, different from one another, coming up out of the sea. Each beast (the lion, bear, leopard, and nondescript animal) represented four kings and their empires (Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman). In successive order, each empire, kingdom, or monarchy overthrew the preceding one.  

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As the dream continues, Daniel becomes focused on the fourth beast having ten horns. A little horn (Antichrist) emerges from the ten, subdues three, and blasphemes God.

 

Then, Daniel watched as the Ancient of Days took His Throne and pronounced judgment upon the fourth beast. The beast is thus seen being tossed into the eternal blazing Lake of Fire.

 

 

(Verse 12)

 

As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

 

Judgment of the Three Beasts

Judgment by the Ancient of Days (Almighty God) on the three other beasts was not as harsh or drastic as the fourth. There is a significant contrast. The three beasts were stripped of their dominion and power, but not destroyed as their lives were prolonged for a season (time). The cultures of each empire were assimilated into the succeeding empire of the fourth beast.  

 

 

(Verse 13)

 

I (Daniel) saw in the night visions, and, behold, One like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven [the sky], and came to the Ancient of Days, and they [the attending angelic beings] brought Him [Jesus Christ] near [into His Presence] before Him [i.e., the Ancient of Days].

 

The Glorified Son of Man

As Daniel kept observing in his night visions, he perceived the last world ruler – Jesus Christ. Although Messiah had already been named as God’s Son (cf. 2 Samuel 7:13-14; Psalm 2:7, 12; Proverbs 30:40), He is now given a name emphasizing His true identification with mankind – the Son of Man – A name Jesus frequently used of Himself [31 times in Matthew alone (cf. John 3:13)]. Jesus wanted the people to truly believe He was the God of man.

 

In Daniel Chapter 3, after Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace, Nebuchadnezzar saw One like unto the Son of God. The distinction between both titles for Jesus is seen from two different perspectives:

A. Son of Man is from the believer's point of view

B. Son of God is from the unbeliever's point of view

 

The Coronation of the Son of Man

One like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven [the sky] and went to the Ancient of Days, and they [the attending angelic beings] brought Him [Jesus Christ] near [into His Presence] before Him

This is the only place in the Old Testament where Jesus Christ is referred to as the Son of Man (or Son of Mankind). Understand, the Son of Man is in the form of a human body (glorified body) but He is still a heavenly Being.

 

There are many references in the Bible for the Son of Man. It consistently refers to His Second Coming. For instance:

Matthew 16:27-28 - For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.

 

Matthew 19:28 - And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

 

Matthew 25:31 - When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the Throne of His glory.

 

There are many other terms Jesus could have used in these passages such as KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS, referring to His Second Coming. However, it is highly believed Jesus deliberately used this title so that it would connect Him specifically with Daniel’s prophecy.  

 

The Clouds of Heaven

Clouds are characteristic of deity. The Son of Man also arrived with the clouds of the sky. Recall, at His Ascension Jesus, went up in a cloud:

Acts 1:9, 11 - And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight...Ye Men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven (the sky)? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven.

 

At the time of the Rapture, all the saints will be caught up and meet Him in the air:

1 Thessalonians 4:17 - Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

 

Next, Daniel sees myriads of attending angelic beings escorting Jesus Christ from Earth to Heaven into the presence, face to face, of the Ancient of Days. Ancient of Days is a title for God only found three times in Daniel 7 (literally, advanced in days, not that He is old but eternal. He existed in eternity past).

 

Here, the Son of Man is seen coming in the clouds to take his rightful inheritance. In Psalm 2, God the Father is seen giving the Son of Man the nations:

Psalm 2:7-8 - I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee (become Your Father). Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen (nations) for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts (ends) of the earth for Thy possession.

 

In addition to Jesus receiving the earthly Millennial Kingdom, He will also be given universal authority on David’s Throne, awaiting the commencement of His earthly reign (see 2 Samuel 7:4-16; 1 Chronicles 17:3-15). So, at His Second Coming, Christ will be seen by everyone coming down with the clouds:

Revelation 1:7 - Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.

 

 

(Verse 14)

 

And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

 

The Everlasting Kingdom

Given to Jesus Christ by the Ancient of Days were three things:

1. Christ receives Dominion

a.  Dominion in Aramaic is sholṭân, meaning sovereignty, or absolute ruling authority

                                        i.    He will rule with a pure dictatorship

                                     ii.    He will have an absolute monarchy

                                   iii.    He will be omnipotent – All-powerful

 

2. Christ receives Glory

a.  Glory in Aramaic is yek-awr', meaning honour and esteem from those over whom He rules

                                        i.    Men’s hearts will esteem Him

                                     ii.    Men will praise Him

                                   iii.    Men will glorify Him

 

3. Christ receives a Kingdom

a.  Kingdom (malkûw) is a form of government. It is the power, realm, or reign of a supreme administration, i.e., the universal dominion of God 

b.  When we pray, we pray, “Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven…For Thine is the Kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.”

 

A Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed

The Millennial Kingdom

The Kingdom Christ receives will be a worldwide Kingdom on earth, superior to all previous kingdoms. In the Kingdom on earth (the Millennial Kingdom) everyone will serve Christ with joy and gladness:

Micah 4:2 - And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

 

In contrast to the previous four kingdoms:

1. His Kingdom will be united

a.  All people

b.  All nations

c.  All languages

2. His dominion is an eternal dominion

3. His Kingdom shall never see its destruction

Revelation 7:9 - After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.

 

Additionally, and ultimately, it will be a restoration of the theocratic Kingdom of Israel.

 

 

In the successive study, Daniel inquired what the truthful meaning was of what he saw from one of the attending angels standing near him. The angel proceeded to reveal the interpretation of His vision. Read ahead.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1. What happens to the first three beasts?

2. Why does Jesus use the title Son of Man?

3. How does His name relate to humankind?

4. How does Jesus arrive on Earth?

5. What is His inheritance?

6. At what point in future history does this event transpire?

7. What is unique about Christ’s Kingdom?

 

 

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 DANIEL SIMPLIFIED

 

CHAPTER 7.9

Gleanings from the Book of Daniel:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

 

DANIEL

 

Chapter Seven

The Ancient of Days

 

Introduction

Daniel envisioned four beasts from the Lord who supplant each other. A lion, representative of Babylon is overthrown by a lopsided bear, representative of the Medo-Persian Empire. The Bear is quickly conquered by the Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great. And, a last non-descript beast, representing the Roman Empire, overtakes Greece after its four-way split upon the death of Alexander the Great.

 

Interestingly, the fourth beast, the Roman Empire, different from all other beasts is depicted as having ten horns, each horn symbolic of a king and kingdom. The ten horns designate the final form of a ten-nation confederacy, the revived Roman Empire in the Last Days.

 

Out of the ten horns, a little horn will rise to power, subdue three horns, and take control of the global government. The little horn is none other than Antichrist. Now observe:

Revelation 13:2a - And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion.

 

The order of animals is reversed in the Book of Revelation simply because John is viewing the prophecy from this side of the Cross. As for the little horn (Antichrist):

Revelation 13:2b - The dragon (Satan) gave him (Antichrist) his power, his seat, and great authority.

 

Daniel is viewing history moving toward a climax in which righteousness will triumph over evil. However, the Messianic Kingdom is not established until after the fourth beast is judged and slain (cf. Daniel 7:9ff.).

 

 

1. The Introduction (v. 1)

2. The Intervention from God (Vv. 2-7)

3. The Innovation of the Little Horn (v. 8)

4. The Intercession of the Ancient of Days (Vv. 9-14)

(Verse 9)

 

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His Throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire.

 

A Judgment Scene

In preparation for the Great Tribulation Period and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, there is an interposition in Daniel’s animal vision. The scene abruptly shifts from the terrestrial to the celestial and from the human to the divine.

 

Verse 9 ushers in the fifth kingdom on earth as the final form of world power. But quickly, the reader is directed to the thrones of judgment in Heaven. Several extraordinary sights come into view as Daniel continued looking:

1. The thrones being cast down

2. The seating of eternal God

3. The description of His garment

4. The description of His hair

5. The description of His Throne

6. The fire emitting from His Throne

7. The wheels of His Throne as burning fire

 

I beheld…the thrones were cast down

In His vision, Daniel is given a view of the heavenly courtroom at the time of final judgment upon the nations. As he continued to watch, thrones were cast down (set in place) for the assessors of the Judge. These are differentiated from the angelic hosts mentioned in verse 10.

 

I beheld…the Ancient of Days did sit

While Daniel observes as the Ancient of Days sits on His Throne. Ancient of Days is a term Daniel uses to refer to God the Father. The name exemplifies the eternality of God - He is the eternal self-existing One.

 

Interestingly, this designation for God is found only in Chapter 7 of Daniel (Vv. 9, 13, 22). He is the only One qualified to render judgment upon the nations and to all those opposed to His supreme authority.  

 

The word, Throne is representative of God’s government, authority, and power. Compare as John writes:

Revelation 4:2 - And immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a Throne was set in Heaven, and One (Jesus Christ) sat on the Throne.

 

The Trinity

Both God the Father and Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead also take their seat on a Throne. Here, the Trinity is a mystery. They are equally three Persons in One – A triune God [see discussion in Revelation Study 4.2]. John informs us as to Who is the righteous judge:

John 5:22 - For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.

 

I beheld…whose garment was white as snow

As Daniel views the eternal Father God, he notices His garment. It was as white as snow. White is an attribute characterization of God’s righteousness, holiness, and absolute purity.

 

I beheld…the hair of His head like the pure wool

Hair like pure wool emphasizes God’s infinite wisdom rather than age. His clothing and hair also speak of His holiness and purity:

Matthew 28:3 - His countenance was like lightning, and His raiment white as snow.

 

Revelation 1:14a - His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow.

 

I beheld…His Throne was like the fiery flame

Next, God’s Throne pictured as a fiery flame speaks of justice and judgment:

Leviticus 10:2 - And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

 

Isaiah 66:15-16 - For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

 

I beheld…and His wheels as burning fire

Daniel beholds wheels representing the omnipresence of Almighty God. In Antiquity, oriental thrones had wheels. God’s Throne also has wheels like a blazing fire – great destruction to the wicked. It is here from God's Throne, that the execution of His judgment is thus moving swiftly. The representation of a wheeled fiery Throne is found in the visions of Ezekiel (read Ezekiel 1:15-28).

 

 

(Verse 10)

 

A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

 

As a prelude before final judgment, streams of fire burst forth from His Throne, most likely with lightning and thunder:

Revelation 4:5 - And out of the Throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the Throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

 

Thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him

A Hebraism, meaning a vast or countless number of attending angels are standing by to minister to God and execute His will. At the same time, myriads of people are standing before His Throne ready to be judged when the books are opened.

 

The judgment was set, and the books were opened

The judges sat, the court was convened, and the process of judgment commenced as the books were opened. Based upon God’s judgment records, He judges with righteous judgment (cf. Psalm 89:14; 96:13; 98:9).

 

God’s Books

In Scripture, the Lord is a great bookkeeper. At the time of the Great White Throne Judgment, John writes:

Revelation 20:12 - And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

 

Notice, books are plural. God has a record of everyone’s thoughts (cf. Romans 2:14-16), words (cf. Matthew 12:36-37), and actions (cf. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) while here on earth. And, Malachi 3:16 speaks of a book of remembrance.

 

God even collects and writes down the tears of the saints…

Psalm 56:8 - Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?

 

The Book of Life

God also has a heavenly record or roll book of all creation. The roster of those who have salvation through Jesus Christ will inherit eternal life. The fates of the unrighteous, unredeemed, or unsaved are removed from the Book of Life and will receive eternal damnation such as Judas Iscariot (cf. Revelation 3:5):

Revelation 20:15 - And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire..

 

 

(Verse 11)

 

I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

 

The Fourth Beast

The scene now shifts from Heaven to Earth. As Daniel kept his attention fixated, boastful words against the Ancient of Days are loudly blurted forth from the little horn’s (Antichrist) mouth.

 

Daniel continued observing until the beast was slain, its body destroyed, and thrown into the blazing Lake of Fire at the end of the Millennium Age:

Revelation 19:20 - And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

 

Observations

1. Antichrist and the False Prophet do not undergo annihilation, rather, they are given perpetual punishment by fire (cf. Isaiah 66:24; Mark 9:48; Revelation 20:10).

 

2. Their fiery destruction corresponds to the smashing of the image by the stone or rock in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (cf. 2:35, 45a).

 

3. In both cases, the end will come upon the Beast and the False Prophet suddenly and spectacularly.

 

4. The fourth beast (Antichrist and his kingdom) represents the revived Roman Empire during the Last Days (Tribulation) in its political and religious entity (Mystery Babylon - Babylon the Great, see Revelation 17-18).   

 

 

Discover what happens to the first three beasts (kingdoms) and the action of the Son of Man in the continuing segment.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1. What do the four beasts represent?

2. Who is the little horn?

3. How does the little horn rise to power?

4. Who is the Ancient of Days?

5. What does His Throne look like?

6. How many angels minister to God?

7. What is the Book of Life all about?

 

 

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