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. There is fairly strong inferential evidence that Nebuchadnezzar was represented by the first beast, the winged lion. Belshazzar came to power several years after the death of Nebuchadnezzar and seems to have turned completely away from the God of Israel. The seriousness of the prophetic truth personally affected Daniel, motivating godly fear and self-examination. The statue represented the kingdoms of the earth. Daniel was told that the beasts are kings, but he was not told the identity of any of the kings. The saints should expect to suffer because of their faith, especially as the last days for the kingdoms of men draw near. The final words of verse 25 are carefully chosen to let the reader know that while this king appears to be successfully opposing God, all he does is a part of the divine plan for the last days. The second is bear-like. 79 Compare Jeremiah 49:14-22, 28, where Nebuchadnezzar is compared to a lion and an eagle. From the context, it would seem that Daniels distress is the result of the wickedness and oppression of the world kingdoms which are represented by the beasts, and by the knowledge that the saints will be oppressed and even overcome for a period of time. As we move into the second half of Daniel 7 and begin to dissect Daniels dream with the help of Gods Word and the help of history past because some of this dream which was yet future for Daniel is past history for us. There seems to be a close connection between the vision of Nebuchadnezzar, which is revealed and interpreted in chapter 2, and the vision of Daniel in chapter 7. The other three are removed from power but allowed to live for some time after their removal (verse 12). The vision recorded in chapter 8 took place in the third year of Belshazzar. This angel, beginning in the second half of verse 23 is describing the revived Roman empire which is yet future. Suffering is an inseparable part of the process which leads to glory. God stirred up the sea, and from its foaming, raging waters came forth four horrifying beasts. Agreeing with God that they are sinners but believing that Jesus Christ death paid the penalty for their sin, that He was buried, and rose from the dead three days later triumphant over sin, Satan, and death forever. In Daniel's dream the Medo-Persian empire and it king Cyrus was represented by the bear. A look through the Scriptures shows that Daniels response to the prophecies he received was not unique. Daniel is greatly distressed by the vision which he sees in chapter 7. When his appointed time is over, God will destroy this king and his kingdom and establish His eternal kingdom on the earth. 3 While they are saying, Peace and safety! then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. Verse 17. Daniel obtaining some respite finds the dream. His vision in chapter 4 should have produced more distress than it did. Even the fate of this fourth beast is different than his three predecessors, as his life and his kingdom seem to end at the same moment. Second, the prophecies of Daniel are to be understood in the light of the entire Book of Daniel, of the Old Testament, and of the Bible as a whole. This is describing an event that has never happened in the history of the world and is yet future. We are in harmony with God when our declarations conform to his. The visions explanation was not thorough enough to satisfy Daniel. Daniel was an intelligent young Jew living in Jerusalem during the late 600s B.C. The chapter falls into two major parts. The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer (1 Peter 4:7). Public sentiment was turning against this foreign religion, and the Babylonians, including Belshazzar, wanted a return to their old time religion the pagan worship of the gods of Babylon. The winged lion was a symbol of Babylon, in any history museum that has a Babylonian section you will find artifacts of a winged lion. Child-bearing is a process which involves suffering and glory. As the beast continues to boast, a second scene commences in Daniels vision, and for a period of time both scenes run simultaneously. Prophecy speaks not only of the joys and glories of Gods kingdom to come but of the suffering and tribulation preceding the eternal blessings of the kingdom of God. Where it has not caused distress, it should have. The beasts are a horrifying and frightening sight; the heavenly court scene is one of regal splendor and beauty. We do not act on what we see so much as on what God has said. Some of his alarm arose from his not yet having been given the interpretation of his vision. Students will learn that they can trust God in difficult times because in the end God wins the battle over the enemy of this world Satan. 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. 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. Daniel was exiled to Babylon when he was still a teenager. Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. (7) Who is the Ancient of Days? As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. (1) Why does Daniel indicate the historical setting of the vision he receives in chapter 7? The fourth portion of the statue in Daniel 2 is the iron legs and feet and toes of partly iron and partly baked clay which represented the Roman empire. God answered Daniel's prayer, and Daniel praised the Lord (Dan 2:19-23). An eleventh king then rises to power, different from the others, replacing three of the previous kings. The three ribs in the bears mouth between its teeth most likely represent Babylon, Egypt, and Lydia, three empires conquered by the Medo-Persian empire. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. Their perception is wrong, for suddenly and without warning their day of destruction will come upon them. The angel goes on to describe what the Antichrist will do: He will speak out against the Most High, he will be boastful and arrogant, he will deny that the Most High is God, he will deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. It is explained in a way that children can understand, describing his feeling as butterfly's in his tummy.Daniel's Dream takes you on an uplifting adventure with wonderfully expressivedescriptions of the characters, perfectly capturing bodylanguage and . JPS Tanakh 1917 The woman endures in the view of the final outcome of the process. As Daniel sought to discover more truth about the fourth beast he added some details that he had left out of his first description. Abraham and Sarah were elderly and childless. He will abolish all the religious holidays and seek to abolish Gods law in an attempt to destroy the Jewish people. Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him." The saints (believing Jews when Christ return to earth) will enjoy the kingdom, the fulfillment of Gods promise to Israel.[3] The Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary states that these saints might also include the resurrected Old Testament saints, the martyred tribulation saints, and the tribulation saints who survive the tribulation. The fourth beast is a fourth king, different than the others. Peter reminds us of Gods patience, but His patience has a determined end. Prophecies are given so that we may look at history, especially events occurring in our own lifetime, from Gods perspective. Daniel 2:26-49 When God granted Daniel the wisdom to interpret the king's dream, it launched Daniel's long career as a political leader, trusted adviser, and well-known prophet. 5. Hearing this, Nebuchadnezzar affirms that Daniel's god is "the God of gods and Lord of kings and revealer of mysteries". As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself. (Daniel 7:1528, NASB95)[1], THE FOUR BEASTS REVEALED (Daniel 7:15-18). 7 And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. This was when his life took a sharp turn. His vision in chapter 4 should have produced more distress than it did. Daniel 2:1-23 - The King's Dream (Pastor Nate Wagner) A. Nebuchadnezzar's dream. A true account of what happened can only be gathered by reading Daniel 2:18; Daniel 2:28 by the side of this verse. (4) This is the first prophecy in the book revealed directly to Daniel. 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers [1]to tell him what he had dreamed. Suffering and glory are a part of one work. This part of Daniels dream is new information that was not conveyed in Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter two. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. That dream was read as our Scripture reading this morning. Subsequent revelations in the Book of Daniel which Daniel received were closely associated with some kind of agony or distress (see 8:17, 27; 9:20-21; 10:2-3, 7-10, 17; 12:8). Note these general observations about our passage before we turn to a more detailed study. Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 B.C., some 9 years before Belshazzars reign began. (19-26) Daniel explains the rise and coming fall of Nebuchadnezzar. 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. When the court sits for judgment, his dominion is taken from him and he is destroyed forever. (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. Daniels response is testimony to this reality. His mouth is used to speak boastfully. The entire empire was conquered between 334 and 330 B.C., just four years. 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). 3 And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. These kingdoms go from bad to worse. With iron-like teeth, horns (some with eyes), and feet, it is utterly destructive. The scene of the four beasts arising from the sea, which Daniel saw in his night vision, is strikingly similar to the account found in the 13th chapter of Revelation: 1 And he stood on the sand of the seashore, and I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. It was said ( ch. (See Daniel 2:24, Note. As Daniel watches, "four great beasts," each different from the others, emerge from the dark waters (verse 3). 10 A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, and the books were opened. Yet Gods covenant to David (2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:14) stands and will ultimately be fulfilled. Through the vision of a magnificent, awe-inspiring statue, God reveals the future for Gentile kings and their kingdoms. Many others may have reluctantly professed or actually adopted the Jewish religion. God grants this king success and his saints suffering, but only for an appointed time. At this point the revelation ended. Daniel 2 (the second chapter of the Book of Daniel) tells how Daniel related and interpreted a dream of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.In his night dream, the king saw a gigantic statue made of four metals, from its head of gold to its feet of mingled iron and clay; as he watched, a stone "not cut by human hands" destroyed the statue and became a mountain filling the whole world. That night his life and his kingdom came to an end. Yet, his emotional response was valid and changed little after the vision was explained more fully. He staying the decree is brought to the king. Then He said to me, Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you! (Ezekiel 2:1). 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. Nevertheless, Daniel tells no one, keeping the matter to himself and suffering a quiet agony over the future events God has revealed to him. This morning we want to look at verses 15-28 and the interpretation of Daniels dream. 9 If any one has an ear, let him hear. Our attention should be given to what is clearly and emphatically said. (11) A distinction is made between God the Fatherthe Ancient of Days and God the Sonthe Son of Manwith both playing a part in the establishment of the kingdom. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so . He will also send forth His angels to gather those who do not belong in His kingdom (12:41). God would strike him down suddenly too and bring his kingdom to a swift end. Until Gods eternal kingdom is established, kingdoms will progress from bad to worse. Those who rejected the Lord Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of Man, would mourn when they saw Him returning in the clouds: And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30). I also told you it corresponded to the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 2, but with more detail. So they came and stood before the king. 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. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. (10) Daniels preoccupation is with the last beast, rather than the first three. 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. In a similar way, Belshazzar becomes blasphemous and is suddenly removed by God for his wickedness. According to our text, the prophecies of Daniel 7 will not be fulfilled for a considerable period of time. Prophecy is not revealed in a historical vacuum. One of those gaps is found in Daniel 7. Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13). Are we supposed to discover their identity? In the second year: It is difficult to understand the exact time this speaks of. However, it must have been in the latter part of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. The prophecy of Daniel 11 includes amazing details about great empires, political developments and end-time powers that would affect the Jews and all people today. To our text, the winged lion progress from bad to worse occurring in our own lifetime, Gods! 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