How can mere mortals endure suffering? How can people like you and me cope and persevere and endure trouble and difficulty?
We tell each other it won’t be long. Don’t worry, it won’t be long now. Only one more and then it’s over.
We try and look elsewhere, away from the source of pain. Don’t look at the needle, look out the window. The dentist I used to go to had beautiful pictures on his ceiling and a TV. Don’t think about what’s happening in your mouth, look up.
Or we look to the end result we are seeking. No gain, no pain. So pump iron now, so you can look like Arnie. That’s why people go through operations. Because the consequences of not going under the knife are far worse than the pain and inconvenience of the operation. The operation has an 90% chance of success. And not having the operation gives you a 100% chance of failure. I think I’ll take the operation.
Daniel is given a vision of the future. In many ways, he might wish he never had it. Because the future involves pain and suffering for many, not least God’s people. Verse 21 of the vision shows what lies ahead for God’s people:
As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them. (NIV)
Again, verse 25:
He [the little horn] 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. (NIV)
Now, chapter 7 is something of a hinge in the book of Daniel. It is written in Aramaic, so it is for the world, and goes with chapters 2-6. But it is also a vision, and so it goes with chapters 8 to 12.
Daniel sees this vision in what seems to be his first year of retirement , the first year of Belshazzar. Daniel would live in retirement for the next 17 years, until called upon by Belshazzar to announce the fall of Babylon and his own death that night. But neither God nor Daniel were idle during those years. Daniel not only interpreted other’s dreams, but dreamed his own. And the second half of Daniel consists of Dreams, Prayers and Revelations that he recorded from this time on.
Daniel’s dreams are costly. Daniel’s was no bed of roses. In verse 15, Daniel describes himself as troubled in spirit and disturbed by the visions that passed through his mind. At the end of the chapter, in verse 28, Daniel says of himself:
I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.’ (Daniel 7:28 NIV)
Except of course, when he wrote it down and published it. So that you and I can be disturbed and troubled by what passed through Daniel’s mind 552 years before Christ.
What Daniel saw was hard to understand. But fortunately, we have the benefit of two and a half thousand years of thinking about it.
And what Daniel sees is a fourfold wind churning up the sea. From the four compass points, the sea is disturbed. And for the Ancients, the sea was a terrible place, full of danger and peril. And from the sea, out came the great beasts, predators.
Now these beasts are grotesque and ugly. But they are also powerful and scary. For they are carnivores seeking their fill of flesh. And becomes clear that the beasts each stands for a kingdom or empire (v17).
The traditional Christian understanding is that these kingdoms are the same kingdoms that we’ve already seen in Chapter 2. That is, they represent Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece under Alexander, and Rome. And in my reading, I found this was the view of the Fathers, the Reformers, and the Modern Evangelical commentators. Those commentators who actually believed Daniel wrote Daniel, saw the 4 kingdoms as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.
The first beast has characteristics of Nebuchadnezzar the great king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar & Babylon is elsewhere described as both a lion and an eagle (Jer 49:19, 22). The wings being ripped off reminds us of the humbling of Nebuchadnezzar by insanity in chapter 4. The beast standing on two feet like a man and receiving the mind of a man reminds us of Nebuchadnezzar's restoration to sanity in chapter 4.
The second beast like a bear seems to be the Medo-Persian empire. Being raised on one side perhaps refers to the greater power of Persia as the senior partner. (Compare the uneven horns of Daniel 8:3, 20). The three ribs may well refer to the three countries or Kings that Persia conquered.
The third beast seems to represent the Greek empire established under Alexander the Great. The leopard is suggestive of the speed with which Alexander conquered the known world, as perhaps also the four wings suggests. The four heads seems to represent the four kingdoms into which his empire was divided after his untimely death, when his kingdom was divided up between his generals (compare the four horns of Daniel 8:8, 21-22).
As was the case in chapter 2, there is a degradation of quality, nobility, beauty and stature as we pass through the first three kingdoms. The first kingdom is represented by the most majestic animals, the lion and eagle beast. This is parallel to the head of gold. Next is the bear, which corresponds to the chest and arms of silver. Then the somewhat grotesque four headed leopard, which seems to represent the belly and thighs of bronze.
And just as Nebuchadnezzar discovered that it was the God of heaven who gives the Kingdom to whoever he wants, so here. Each of the first three beasts is under authority and control. So the lion was plucked, and given a human mind. The bear is told to feed. The leopard is given dominion. The God of heaven is still the one who gives the Kingdoms of Men to whosoever he wants. Nothing escapes his plan or design.
And then comes the ugliest and most fearsome beast of all, the iron beast. There is no animal that Daniel can liken it to. It was different from the former beasts. It terrifies and frightens Daniel as he looks at it. It holds him in grotesque fascination and fear. And just as the legs and feet of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue dream featured iron, so does this, with it’s iron teeth.
And if everything I’ve said so far is correct, this beast represents the might and power of Rome. Rome will be the power that finds new methods of savagery and a new extent to cruelty.
We recall that the beast has ten horns. Now, the ten horns are specifically said to be 10 kings that come from that empire (verse 24). And there are two ways you can take it. You can take them to be 10 kings or their kingdoms in succession. Or you can take them to be 10 kings that are contemporaneous with one another. They might be 10 kings across time or 10 kings across space. They might be 10 kings who succeed one another, or 10 kings who neighbour one another.
For myself, I think 10 kings across space fits better. They seem to be 10 neighbouring kings. Because it is a bit hard to see how the 11th King can uproot three kings who have already been succeeded in time.
Think about Julia Gillard and the three Prime Minister’s before her. I can understand how she uprooted Kevin Rudd, but could she really be thought to have uprooted Paul Keating and John Howard? Their governments were defeated before she came on the scene.
Rome had apparently divided it’s empire into 10 provinces[1]. Moreover, it is well known that Rome had a system of client kings, such as the Herods. Rome had a system of contemporaneous neighbouring kings, all pledging allegiance to the emperor.
But the most fascinating aspect of the fourth beast is the little horn. It uproots three kings or kingdoms. It has some human characteristics – eyes and a mouth. But it boasts, and blasphemes and attacks the saints. And indeed, they shall be given into his hand for three and a half times.
Who is this little horn? Some identify him as Antiochus Epiphanes. But on my structure, with Rome as the fourth kingdom, that cannot be. Most conservative Christian scholars identify him as the Antichrist. That was the opinion of the early church fathers. It is also the opinion of many modern commentators who believe the bible. It is fair to say it is the majority opinion of the best and most faithful scholars. And for that reason it deserves our respect.
But if that is case, you will have to say a few things.
First, you might have to say that the Roman empire is still going. And I know that some people point to the EU and the treaty of Rome. But I am not sure that this can really be said that the Roman empire still exists. Rome for all intents and purposes fell in 476BC. And what was known as the Holy Roman Empire in the middle ages was really a European empire, and did not really have the same character as the Roman.
Or second, another might point to the fact that the 10 horns are 10 kings or kingdoms across time. And so the 10 kingdoms continue in time after the Roman period has ended[2]. And while this is possible, and one of my favourite commentator on Daniel argues for it, I don’t think it is the most likely.
Third, in the alternative, you might say that the iron beast is resurrected to fight another day. It is the Roman empire renewed. But that is difficult to say, because what is actually said of the iron teeth beast is that it was killed and it’s body destroyed (verse 11) while the other beasts lived on (verse 12)
So many hold to the little horn being the Antichrist, the man of lawlessness, who will appear at the end of time. And it might be right. But I don’t think it is the most likely interpretation.
In my opinion, I think the little horn is most probably the Caesars who would persecute the early Christians in Rome and other parts of the empire[3]. Remember, Jesus Christ was crucified under Roman power. And those who bayed for his death cried, ‘We have no king but Caesar’. Paul was beheaded and Peter crucified upside-down under Caesar. This was the situation in which the book of Revelation was written. And early Christians who would not sacrifice to Caesar, as to a god, where punished with death. It seems to me that this was how the little horn waged his war against the saints. I should say that this was the opinion of only one of the commentators I looked at. But he was no slouch – it was John Calvin’s opinion.
But the Roman Empire was a doomed beast. All it could do was make the saints suffer for a short time. Time, Times and half a time. This stands for a short time. Hang on, it won’t be too long. Look up, because your redemption is near. Think of the results of perseverance. There is an eternal kingdom coming. So hang in there
And the champion of the Saints is the Ancient of Days and one like a Son of Man. Verses 9 and 10, we read:
“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. (NIV)
This I take as God the Father, in all his glory and majesty. He is surrounded by the angels. He is in his Royal Court. And he is about to receive someone greater than any angel. Verses 13 and 14:
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, 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 peoples, nations and men 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. (NIV)
Notice the direction that the Son of Man is moving. He is not going from heaven to earth. He is going from earth to heaven. He is ascending. He is going to God the Father from earth to receive all glory, authority and sovereign power. This is the same picture that David gives of the Christ:
The LORD says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” (Psalm 110:1 NIV)
It is the same picture that Paul paints of the obedient Christ who suffers death on a cross.
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 NIV)
The exalted Jesus Christ is the Son of Man. He is the one who is to be worshipped, thus he is fully God. But he is found in appearance as a man, and thus he is fully man. After his death, he was risen powerfully from the dead. He was declared to be the Son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead. After his resurrection, Jesus said of himself, that He has been given all authority on heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). And in his Ascension, he was ushered into the presence of God the Father to be the Son of Man and Christ.
And so he sends his disciples, his messengers – his angels, if you like, into all the world, to make disciples of all nations. So that every nation, tongue, tribe and language group will give him the honour he deserves. His kingdom has been brought in by his death, resurrection and ascension. And it will be consummated at his return, when he marries his bride, the church.
So what time are we in? According to the reading I’m suggesting, we are in the time of the saints reigning. Verse 18:
But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever–yes, for ever and ever. ’ (NIV)
It cannot be seen except by the eye of faith. We are in the time when the stone cut out, but not by human hands, grows to cover the whole earth. This is the saints reigning and receiving the kingdom.
How do the saints reign? Through the preaching of the gospel. As we take the good news of Jesus Christ, we disarm strongholds. For the weapon of God in the fight is the gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, we are winning, and we will win. This is the confidence with which we put on the armour for the fight. Allow me to commend this understanding of Daniel 7 to you.
Let’s pray.
[1] On Rev 17:12-14, see G R Osborne Revelation: BECNT. 621. Consider Calvin’s comment, ‘So also, when treating of the Romans, the Prophet does not assert that ten kings should succeed each other in regular order, but rather the multiform nature of the kingdom under more heads than one’: Comm Daniel Vol XIII , p 62
[2] This seems to be the view of E J Young
[3] This is the view of Calvin.