The Problem with Power

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PRAYING TOGETHER:

Consider focusing opening prayer on VCC and/or community needs such as:

• Pray & fast for God’s name to be hallowed, his kingdom to come, and his will to be done in our lives.

• Pray for our faith to be strengthened and endurance built during this COVID trial.

• Pray for the well-being of our congregation (spiritual, emotional, physical).

STARTER QUESTION

Share examples you’ve seen of power dynamics being used well or poorly whether in society, or by those in your sphere, or by you.

LEADER STUDY NOTES:

Daniel 8 - Intro, Theme & Goal

In Daniel 7, then, God gives Daniel a grand vision of the sweep of human history from the time of Babylon to the destruction of the end-time Antichrist and the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth. Three years later, in Chapter 8, God narrows the scope, skips over Babylon, and zooms in on the second and third beast/kingdoms, a timeframe of roughly two-hundred years (350 B.C. to 164 B.C.). This vision is about "power and conflict."¹

Especially important for discerning the theme is the repetition of the verb “to become great” (gādal). The ram “became great/strong” (v. 4); the goat “grew exceedingly great” (v. 8); the little horn “grew exceedingly great” (v. 9); it “grew as great/high as the host of heaven” (v. 10); “Even against the prince of the host it acted arrogantly [grew great]” (v. 11). This repetition provides a sense of movement which comes to a climax in the greatness of the little horn. 1 We see in this chapter the portrayal of kings/empires seeking power and greatness for their own benefit, in contrast to Jesus Christ who gave up power when he came to earth as a baby, underwent temptation, used his power for healing and blessing others, and ultimately give himself up on the cross rather than use his power to save himself, he saved others.

What you believe about Daniel 8 will largely determine what you believe about the rest of Scripture and what God actually promises about the rest of your life. This is because of the precision of Daniel's predictions about the temporary triumphs of evil across the world. Many critics of the Bible reject this prophecy because it is too good, too accurate. To believe Daniel is writing prophecy requires the belief that what is written was supernaturally inspired, And if God has thus spoken, then his Word has far more authority over our lives than we may wish.²

Dan. 8:1-22 - "saw a ram that had two horns"

Even in God's great story, there are times when his enemies hold sway, and usually it is because the people of God have given way to evil ... The plot twists as evil rises again and again to resist God's rule, but the story moves irresistibly forward to the conclusion God intends. Each of the human kingdoms appears, acts aggressively, enjoys success, but then falls. Daniel sees seven things:²

• Ram w/ two horns (one longer than the other) that will carry destruction west, north, and south (v. 3-4) = Medo-Persian empire.

• Goat with one horn comes from the west with great speed to destroy the Medes and Persians (v. 5-7) = king of Greece, and the horn is the first king, Alexander the Great;

• Goat's one horn is broken off at the height of his power (v. 8) = Happened to Alexander the Great, who had conquered the known world by age thirty-two before dying at age thirty-three.

• The one horn of the goat is replaced by four horns (v. 8) = Alexander's Greek empire was divided and ruled by the four Greek generals that followed him.

• From one of the four horns comes a little horn that grows in power and moves south and east and toward the glorious land, Israel (v. 9) = Antiochus Epiphanes, a Seleucid ruler from Greek and Median descent, who ultimately bowed to Roman power.

• This one horn of power sets himself against God and his people, and commits various abominations including stopping the daily sacrifice, defiling the sanctuary, and throwing truth to the ground (v. 11-12) = all done by Antiochus Epiphanes as he invaded Israel, slaughtered thousands, murdered any circumcised infant, sacrificed a pig on the altar of the Lord, put a statue of Zeus in the sanctuary, and cut up and threw down the holy scrolls of the law of truth.

• The little horn’s persecution has a time limit of 2,300 days. The desecration of the temple lasted just over six years--to be precise 2,300 days (v. 14). Temple was reconsecrated on December 25, which is why the Feast of Dedication [which we know as Hanukah] is celebrated at Christmas-time. Jesus also celebrated the Feast of Dedication in John 10:22-23.

Dan. 8:9-12, 23-25 - "little horn/king of bold face"

The Daniel 8 narrative grows in the greatness of those kings opposing God, and in opposition to God until it arrives at the “little horn” which is the visions primary focus in terms of greatness and evil deeds--became great, brought about the end of the regular burnt offering and overthrew the sanctuary ... There is virtually unanimous agreement that this little horn must be identified as the Seleucid king Antiochus IV, who severely persecuted the Jews and desecrated God’s temple. This identification makes this little horn a different figure from the little horn in Daniel 7. The first book of Maccabees (1:45-50) tells us that the king prohibited burnt offerings and sacrifices in the temple and ordered the Jews to profane “sabbaths and feasts,” build altars and “shrines for idols,” sacrifice “pigs and unclean beasts,” and leave “their sons uncircumcised,” “so that they should forget the Law and revoke all observance of it. This "little horn" shall be broken, but not by human hands, just as Antiochus Epiphanes dies of bowel disease so odious that it also drove him mad.¹

Some believe this vision of the little horn refers to the antichrist at the end of the age or is a double prophecy of both Antiochus and the future antichrist. Whether or not it is a double prophecy of Antiochus AND the Antichrist at the end of the church age is a matter of discussion, but at the very least Antiochus provides many similarities that may serve as a foreshadow of the antichrist. We see in the Old Testament and in the description of Antiochus the nature of evil--its arrogance, its cruelty, its need to defile, its need to set up worship contrary to God--so when the antichrist comes we may recognize his nature and intentions.²

Dan. 8:13-14 - "For how long is the vision ... for 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored ..."

Dan. 8:14 - "two-thousand three-hundred evenings and mornings" — Three possible interpretations of the 2,300 days … could be referring to the evening and morning sacrifices, so 1,150 whole days; could be literal Hebrew days, a little over 6 years; or could be symbolic representing a fixed and limited period of persecution. Whatever your interpretation of the 2,300 days, the use of a finite length of time for the little horn’s persecution indicates the little horn’s evil reign is under God’s sovereign control. God has allowed the persecution, but has also ordained an end in his timing.¹

“Sanctuary restored” — The lesson is that "Evil may have its day, but God will have the final say." Here we see that evil does not have the final word. God knows and orchestrates evil's end--Babylon the great falls; Alexander the Great dies young; Antiochus Epiphanes experiences a terminal disease beyond the power of his armies to stop. ²

¹ Excerpts from Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ from Daniel, iBooks
² Excerpts from Bryan Chapell, The Gospel According to Daniel