(3) The finest commentary on the prophecy of Daniel 7 comes from our Lord Himself. This angel responded and gave Daniel understanding into his dream as he interpreted it for him. Daniel went at once and obtained royal permission for more time, so that he could tell the king what the dream meant. So the king spoke, and said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you." In chapter 2 we read that Nebuchadnezzar was troubled and terrified by his dream, we read here in verse 15 that Daniel was distressed in his spirit because he knew that God had just shown him a panorama of tremendous events yet future and Daniels distress was his lack of understanding his dream. The ten horns are of interest to him, but most of all that final horn which arose, surpassing and replacing three others and speaking boastfully. The fulfillment of the prophecy of Belshazzars demise underscores the certainty of the fulfillment of Daniels vision in the last days. He will also send forth His angels to gather those who do not belong in His kingdom (12:41). The emphasis of this brief interpretation falls not on the enemies of God, their power, their brutality, nor their boasting, but on the kingdom of God, its certainty and its permanence for all the saints forever. (1) Why does Daniel indicate the historical setting of the vision he receives in chapter 7? It seems safe to assume the interpreter was an angelic being; at least this is the case in chapter 8 (8:15-26). Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Prophets: Daniel 2:16 Daniel went in and desired (Dan. 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. His mouth is used to speak boastfully. He not only speaks against the Most High, he oppresses the saints. And yet God said they would. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. The identity of the kingdoms represented by the other body parts and metals was not revealed. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.. When the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth, having added perfect humanity to His undiminished deity, He spoke of Himself very often as the Son of Man. In the Gospels, Jesus began not only to identify Himself as the Messiah, the promised Son of Man, but also to explain all that this involved. Rome did conquer much of the known world, but it never conquered the whole world as this is describing. God is able to raise up kings and put them down. If we go back to Daniel 2 and look at the statue in Nebuchadnezzars dream, we find that it too represented four kings and their kingdoms. Interpretations of Daniels prophecies differ widely. In the second scene, heaven calmly prepares for court, which will determine that the time for judgment has come. (3) What principles should guide and govern our attempt to interpret the prophecy of this chapter? As the destruction of the last beast and the blaspheming horn came as a complete shock to them, so the Lords coming will catch unbelievers unprepared as well (24:27-39). I believe some in Babylon, like their king, came to a genuine faith in God. Chapter 7 moves from the historical accounts of Daniel and his three friends to the prophetic revelations received by Daniel in the last half of the Book.76 The following chart may help us visualize the relationship of Daniels prophecies to the historical setting in which they were revealed: The first prophetic revelation is found in Daniel 2. The fact that wicked men will prosper and prevail and that the righteous will suffer is hardly pleasant news. The Septuagint renders, "And the king commended that the magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers of the Chaldeans be brought in to tell the king his dream. (1) Daniel 7 is the last chapter written in Aramaic in the Book of Daniel. This fourth beast seems to regenerate in the form of subsequent kings and kingdoms. An eleventh king then rises to power, different from the others, replacing three of the previous kings. Note that the description of the beasts is written in prose, while the description of the heavenly court in verses 9-10 and of the Son of Man in verses 13-14 is written in poetry form. The vision comes to Daniel in Belshazzars first year.78 A subsequent and related vision comes to him in this kings third year (see 8:1). Hearing this, Nebuchadnezzar affirms that Daniel's god is "the God of gods and Lord of kings and revealer of mysteries". Here is a man that has faithfully walked with his God his whole life. If you remember from two weeks ago the bear was raised up on one side, this was to indicate that one part of this united kingdom overshadowed the other portion. At this point the revelation ended. At the outset of the account of his vision, Daniel wants his reader to know the historical context in which this prophecy was given and to consider its interpretation and application in the light of that context. Because of this we can have a greater understanding of this dream than Daniel did. Alexandra, the daughter of a rich British aristocrat, caught his attention. Unfortunately, the king did not heed the dreams warning, and his kingdom was taken away for a time. Chapter 2 contains a very significant prophecy, revealed by God to king Nebuchadnezzar. God answered Daniel's prayer, and Daniel praised the Lord (Dan 2:19-23). Since the head of gold seems to describe the same king and kingdom as the first beast, it may not be too far afield to conclude that Nebuchadnezzar is the king represented by the first beast. The expression, son of man, is not new to Daniel nor to the Jews of his day. Daniel does not date this dream as he did the earlier dream (cf. Prophecy is revealed to men to change their perspective, to urge them to see things as God sees them rather than as they appear to the human eye. 77 According to Baldwin, This verse [13] has been the subject of more scholarly papers than any other in the book, so indicating its centrality, not only for Daniel but for the New Testament also. Baldwin, p. 142. This angel, beginning in the second half of verse 23 is describing the revived Roman empire which is yet future. 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). As I stated two weeks ago the leopard was noted for its swiftness and the two pairs of wings suggests added swiftness beyond the animals own ability. Lion - Babylon. Whether liberal or conservative, our conclusions grow out of the premises and presuppositions governing the process and the product of our interpretation. The point of this prophecy is not to tell us who future kings will be, but rather what they will be like. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, Embedded video for Daniel's Dream Interpreted - Daniel 7:15-28. Daniel 2:9-11 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof, Daniel 1:18,19 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar, We are not told in so many words that this extension of time was granted, or that Daniel undertook to show more than the interpretation of the dream. He will rule over all nations forever. (8) Is there any relationship between Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter 2 and Daniels dream in chapter 7? (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. The three and a half years referred to here in Daniel is the last half of the tribulation, also called the Great Tribulation and the Time of Jacobs Trouble. Their perception is wrong, for suddenly and without warning their day of destruction will come upon them. The expression is used in the Psalms in a more pregnant way, in reference to the coming Messiah. Alexander the great and his armies did conquer the nations that became a part of his empire swiftly. As the wicked prosper in their sin, it seems as though they can continue in sin without any fear of divine judgment (see Psalm 73:1-11; 2 Peter 2:3-4). His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. 27 Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him. 28 At this point the revelation ended. 2 Peter 3:8-9, But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. When the child is born, the pains of suffering are quickly lost in the joys of seeing a new life. 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. The second is bear-like. 1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy Chapter 2 - The original dream describing the future kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greek, Roman, kingdom of God. The righteous will suffer. It not only bore witness to the conversion of this king, but encouraged all of the subjects of Babylonian rule to worship the God of Israel. This chapter is a history, but it is the history of a prophecy, by a dream and the interpretation . La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, [2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. His thoughts alarm him, and his face pales. In the latter days, before the kingdom of God is established on the earth, kings and kingdoms will become worse and worse. 74 The personal cost of receiving divine revelation is never underestimated in the Old Testament (cf. 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, every one whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. The next portion of the statue in Daniel 2 was the chest and arms of silver which represented the Medo-Persian Empire which was even larger than the Babylonian empire. The first recorded vision comes to Daniel in the form of a night vision, like those of Nebuchadnezzar (2:1; 4:5) during the first year of the reign of Belshazzar. Twice in chapter 7 Daniel speaks of his distress: As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me (verse 15). Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation. The boastful beast becomes even more aggressive, waging war with the saints and even overpowering them. 76 It is not altogether accurate to refer to chapters 1-6 as historical and 7-12 as prophetic. He will persecute and oppress the saints of the Highest One, the angel says that he will wear them down; the idea comes from the concept of wearing out a garment until it is threadbare. Even those portions which we believe have been fulfilled, students of prophecy differ about the way of their fulfillment. And they did! We know from history that though Persia rose later than Media it soon overshadowed Media in its power. The kingdom of God would not be established in Daniels lifetime, nor in the life of those who returned to the land of Israel from their captivity. Arrogant, boastful, and even blasphemous kings will reign over the nations, opposing God and oppressing His saints. The message of this prophecy is really quite simple and may be summed up this way. In chapter 5, King Belshazzars dream should have greatly alarmed him, but apparantly it did not. Daniel finds nothing to compare to it. If taken seriously, we will find the future sobering as well. (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. In more detail, the outline would be as follows: (2) The Divine Interpretation verses 15-28. In the Old Testament, the expression son of man was used most frequently in reference to men, who were merely (as opposed to God) human. Daniel 7 indicates in the clearest way that prior to the coming of the kingdom of God the saints will suffer at the hand of the final horn and even be overpowered by him. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him." 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. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, [7]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. We have talked about several times since starting this series about how studying Bible prophecy should influence you. (7) Who is the Ancient of Days? Who is the Son of Man? (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. When that happens, Daniel goes for option #2 of those listed above: he asks one of the people in his dream to interpret what is happening for him ( Da 7:15-16 ). 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. As Daniel watches, "four great beasts," each different from the others, emerge from the dark waters (verse 3). Then He said to me, Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you! (Ezekiel 2:1). 13 And he performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. From Daniel 2:4b to the end of chapter 7, the original text was written in Aramaic (the language of Babylon in that day). The beast also was given a mans mind. So they came and stood before the king. Verses 15-28 contain the divine interpretation of this vision. Through the vision of a magnificent, awe-inspiring statue, God reveals the future for Gentile kings and their kingdoms. 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