Source: https://nightlightblogdotcom.wordpress.com/category/daniel/
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 23:21:41+00:00

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Shall be given to the people, to the saints of the Most High.
In chapter 2, Daniel foretold that the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, v. 44. In 7:11, this kingdom is given to One like the Son of Man. Now, in the interpretation of Daniel’s vision in chapter 7, we discover that the saints will also participate in the kingdom. In verse 27, several things are said of this kingdom.
1. The splendor of the kingdom, then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven….
In other words, this kingdom is not going to be some little insignificant thing, some mystical something that nobody can really see or touch, and which has very little, if any, influence on the world around it. There have been times when “the church” has been influential in its surroundings, though not now. By “the church,” I don’t mean organizations like Romanism or the various state churches of Europe. “The church” is not some denominational hierarchy, not some monolithic religious structure, not some political entity enforcing submission to a creed or catechism. Indeed, it has often been these manmade structures, with their political posturing or social agendas, which have been at the forefront of opposition to the people of God. “The church” is saved people, living out their lives in seeking to please God, and coming together from time to time to praise and worship the God who has saved them, often in the face of great persecution or ridicule. When God sets up the kingdom the Bible talks about, such persecution or ridicule will not be possible.
We don’t really have any great kingdoms today, egalitarianism has taken care of that, but there have been such in history. The splendor of ancient Egypt, the riches of the Ming dynasty in China, the far-flung reaches of the British Empire, all these and many others bear eloquent witness to the greatness that earthly kingdoms can achieve. All this will be wrapped up in and overshadowed by the greatness of the fifth and final kingdom, which will encompass the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven….(emphasis added). It seems to me that this cannot refer to anything other than an “earthly” kingdom, in agreement with what Daniel said in his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: the “stone” will grow into a great mountain which will fill the whole earth.
Furthermore, God tells us through Daniel that the rest of the beasts had their dominion taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. The nations which made up the first four kingdoms still exist in one form or another, but they themselves will one day fall under the sway of the Son of Man and His saints. As much as some decry the idea of “an earthly, carnal kingdom,” there is coming a kingdom of God which will fill the whole earth. Peter describes this time as one in which righteousness dwells, or, literally, “is at home,” 2 Peter 3:13. It certainly isn’t at home in this present evil world.
By the way, the word translated “fill” has the basic meaning, “to be abundant and overflowing”. This kingdom isn’t going to be some “hole in the wall” affair with people hiding in caves and forests, scared to death they’re going to be discovered worshiping God. No, no. It will be the answer to that petition in the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” Matthew 6:10, emphasis added.
How is God’s will done “in heaven”?
Joyfully, willingly, completely, openly, only.
There are some today who desire to serve God like that, but they are few and far between in comparison with the earth’s population. Nevertheless, there is coming a time when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea, Habakkuk 2:14. We don’t really think about this, “the waters cover the sea,” but it’s quite a picture. If we could take the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest, and drop it into the deepest part of the ocean, the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific, there would still be well over a mile of water covering Everest!
And it isn’t just some academic knowledge of God Habakkuk is talking about, reserved for scholars in some dusty hall, it’s the knowledge of the glory of God. God will be known in His fullness. He won’t just be shunted off to one side to await our “decision”. Zechariah 14 gives something of an account of this time. Though you should read the whole chapter, v. 16 says, And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of the nations who came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. The earth will be filled with worship and praise of Him, as well as obedience to Him, vs. 17-19.
There’s that word again: “filled” – to be abundant and overflowing. That certainly isn’t true today, all the varied means of communication we have today notwithstanding.
2. The saints and the fifth kingdom, this kingdom shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
Who are these people, these saints of the Most High? This subject is hotly debated. We’ll postpone our own comments until the next post, where we’ll deal with objections to the idea of an “earthly” kingdom, which the Scriptures clearly teach.
3. The certainty of the fifth kingdom, His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom….
Earlier in this chapter, Daniel said, “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed, v. 14. There will never be any “ruins” for future archaeologists to sift through and try to figure out. There will never be a “sixth” kingdom. This King is eternal. His kingdom will be eternal.
In our last post, we looked at several characteristics Daniel gives us of a man called, “the beast.” We believe this is the same individual called the Antichrist in the New Testament. Here is the rest of what Daniel says about him.
e. his power, then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.
This is an astounding statement. This is how the Antichrist will be able to “prevail” against the saints, but why would God give His people over into the hand of His, and their, enemies?
…though now,… if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being more precious than gold, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
One purpose of trials is to prove the genuineness of faith and to increase it, as we see that God is able in any circumstance to take care of us. In the US, we don’t know much about the bloodshed other generations, and believers in other parts of the world, have known. If it comes to us, it will prove who are Christians, and who are just church members….
There is one other thing, of paramount importance. The saints will be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time (emphasis added). This statement has caused a lot of discussion. Though the beast may seem to have unlimited power and might be able to prevail against the saints, yet there is a limit. His despotism will come to an end.
But what does the phrase “time and times and half a time” mean? Since Daniel says more about this, we wait til then for further comment.
6. his punishment, But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever, v. 26. Once the terror of this earth, the beast will be stripped of all his power and, in the words of Daniel, his body…destroyed and given to the burning flame, v. 11. There is a corresponding reference to this in Revelation: Then the beast was captured,,,. and [was] cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, Revelation 19:20.
There’s a lot that could be said about the fact that the body isn’t all there is to a person. He has (is) soul and spirit, as well. The body may die, but the soul lives on. We read of Adam that when God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, he became a living soul. He was more than just an animated body. So are we.
The grave is not our final destination.
In the words of Hebrews 9:27, it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement. As far as this life is concerned, there is an “after”.
There is a time of judgment coming.
But that’s not all Hebrews 9 says. Verse 28 says, Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.
We didn’t quote all of Hebrews 9:27, 28. What these verses say is, As it is appointed for men once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. The underlined words complete the thought.
The death of Christ wasn’t just some happenstance, some measure dreamed up in a “hastily called meeting of the divine council,” as one Bible “scholar” put it. It bore a direct relation to man’s condition: he is a sinner, and, as such, under a just condemnation.
But God made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him, 1 Corinthians 5:21. In other words, Christ took to Himself something that wasn’t His – namely, our sins, in order that He might give to us something that wasn’t ours – namely, the righteousness of God.
This is why the Scripture says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,” Acts 16:31.
In the first 14 verses of this chapter, Daniel has been given an extensive look at the world’s future as it will unfold in regards to Israel until the coming of One like the Son of Man.
The interpretation of Daniel’s vision is almost humorous in the brevity with which it casually dismisses the four beasts: “Those great beasts, are four kings which arise out of the earth.” That’s all, to describe centuries of conflict and upheaval. At the same time, it’s startling, because of the other statement the angel makes: “but the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and forever.” This statement means that those who are usually at the bottom of the food chain, so to speak, that is, the saints of the Most High, will one day be on top. In a nutshell, this is human history from the time of Daniel to its end as we know it.
This cursory explanation doesn’t satisfy Daniel, because he’s burning with curiosity about something in the vision itself. This brings us to Daniel’s question and it’s answer, both of which are in two parts.
In this section, Daniel merely repeats what has already been said about the fourth beast, about its dreadfulness and destruction, about the ten horns and “the little horn” and its destruction of three other horns. There is nothing new here.
Three things, two of which are new, are mentioned here.
1. tribulation, the horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing…. Though the power and destructiveness of the fourth beast was well evident, now we discover that this violence extends to the saints. Perhaps Daniel was confused about the apparent contradiction in what he saw, that is, that the saints were being defeated, and the angel’s statement that the saints would possess the kingdom. Persecution of them hasn’t been mentioned until now.
2. limitation, until…the time came…. The violent career of the little horn won’t continue unabated; it has a set limit and a definite end, cf. v. 11. While things may look black on this earth, there is a God in heaven. Strange how the idea that God is in control of things upsets people. I know of people who have actually walked out of a church service when that idea has been broached. Evidently, it’s ok for Him to he there as long as He does what we want, but otherwise stays out of the way, gives us the things we “name and claim,” and in general acts as a sort of heavenly Concierge to attend to our wishes, but for Him to be God, well, that’s bothersome. But, thank God, it’s true.
3. transformation, …for the saints to possess the kingdom. What, exactly, does this mean? Daniel tells us.
1. the circumstances of the fourth kingdom, vs. 23-26.
a. its conduct, v. 23. The destructive violence of this kingdom is readily apparent, but that’s not what’s important in this vision, but its final end, which is what the rest of the explanation is about.
b. its climax, vs. 24-27.
1. the appearance of ten kings, v. 24a.
These ten kings correspond to the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision, 2:41-44. They embody the final form of the fourth kingdom. Remember, we saw that Nebuchadnezzar’s vision was from an earthly standpoint. There was no consideration of these kingdoms in reference to heaven. However, in this vision, the relationship is very clear. In the first vision, the various empires do their own thing with little, if any regard, to the God of heaven; in this vision, they still do their own thing, but a definite rebellion against and opposition to Him develops especially in the final king, the last representative of these kingdoms: the little horn.
2. the attributes of the final king, vs. 24-26.
a. his power, he shall subdue three kings, vs. 24.
Nothing more is told of this. Some have attempted to pinpoint where this has happened in history, but with little success.
b. his pride, he shall speak pompous words against the Most High, v. 25.
the man of sin…the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Even though this man, whom we call the Antichrist, isn’t here yet, Paul wrote that the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, 2 Thessalonians 2:7. John wrote that many antichrists have come, 1 John 2:18. There were “many” in John’s day, and there are certainly many in our day who speak pompous words against the Most High, denying His word, His providence, His creation, His justice, His salvation, even His very existence. These are but faint shadows of what is to come.
c. his program, he shall persecute (lit., “wear out”) the saints of the Most High, v. 25b.
Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, and your spoil shall be divided in your midst. For I will gather all nations to battle against Jerusalem: the city shall be taken, the house rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity….
There is much more detail we could add here, but we want to look at one final prophecy from Daniel about this time: …when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished, Daniel 12:7, emphasis added. There is coming a time when, to the joy of an unbelieving and hostile world, it will seem like Israel has finally been destroyed.
d. his presumption, he shall intend to change times and law, v. 25c.
We don’t know exactly what is involved here, except that it involves the Antichrist’s desire to supplant and replace the true God in the minds and hearts of men. This would require getting rid of His word and seeking to thwart His purpose.
There will be no doubt about what is going on!
“In the figurative or symbolic language of the Apocalypse hardly anything is called by its ordinary and direct name, but things are indirectly alluded to under some other name, and words have to be understood as implying something else than their ordinary connotations;…” (Willian Ramsey, The Letters to the Seven Churches, p. 111).
Quite frankly, I can’t think of a more damaging or dangerous idea than the idea that any portion of Scripture has “to be understood as implying something else than [its] ordinary connotations….” This does not deny that there may be symbolic or figurative language involved, but even these convey literal truth, not just abstract “principles” or “processes”.
We’ll stop here, but the last question in the paragraph above is as valid now as it will be in the future. We live in times of increasing wickedness. Things hidden in secret just a few years ago are glorified and promoted on every hand. It seems the devil is winning the battle for our hearts and minds.
The thing is, he may be winning the current battle, but the war has already been won. This world will one day run into the end of God’s patience. The devil and those who follow him, even unwittingly, will find out to their everlasting loss that there is a God in heaven, and His will be the final word.
But that time hasn’t yet come.
Until it does, the Gospel message is one of hope and deliverance. It’s one of salvation and deliverance, not necessarily from the ills and cares of this world, but of redemption from that which brings God’s judgment, namely, sin.
When the angel told Joseph about what was happening with his fiancee, he said of her Son, “He shall save His people from their sin, Matthew 1:21. And so the Scripture says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,” Acts 16:31.

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