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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
October 9, 2011
The Vision of the Four Beasts
Daniel 7:1-28
Introduction
What will happen in the future? That is a question that is of constant interest to humans in both the near and distant future. People constantly check the weather forecast in order to plan what they will do that day or the next. Is it going to be hot or cold? Windy or calm? Sunny or cloudy? Wet or dry? Weather forecasters, the only job in which you can be wrong most of the time and still have a job, are constantly trying to stretch their forecasts to greater time lengths. It is common for weather reports to now include three or even five day forecasts. We want to know on Monday what the next weekend will like so we can plan our activities. For generations, farmers have consulted almanacs to get an idea about long term weather patterns so that they can time the planting of their crops.
What the future holds is also of great interest to business and much money is spent on trying to forecast the business climate so that profitable business decisions can be made. Business forecast reports can cause wild swings in the stock market as businesses react to them.
Much of politics has devolved into trying to predict how constituents will react to potential actions taken. Too many politicians are more concerned about their future in getting re-elected than in being statesmen who do what is right before God. Leadership used to be about developing sound plans and polices and then seeking to persuade others concerning them. Political leadership is now more often about polling people and then trying to get out in front of where the majority seem to be heading.
Those who gamble would love to know the future so their risks would be low and their winnings would be high. Most everyone would like to know the future in advance so they could take advantage of the best opportunities and stay away from those things that would be negative. You would stay home if you knew going out would result in a car accident. You would avoid certain people if you knew in advance how much grief they would cause. You’re career path would be different if you could foresee what you would go through and where it would actually lead.
The reality is that as much as mankind would like to know the future, it is beyond him. Careful research and analysis may be helpful in making wise plans, but a missed fact or sudden change causes them to go awry. Humans have also delved into many different demonic and occultic means of trying to predict the future – astrology, tarot card, crystal balls, fortune tellers, reading tea leaves, bones and entrails, etc. None of these things are accurate. Man’s effort to predict the future are educated guesses at best and occultic practices are open doors to the demonic.
Man is not and cannot be in control of the future. Jesus made this point in Luke 12 concerning the rich man that planed to pull down his old barns and build bigger ones to store his wealth. Jesus said the man was a fool for his soul was required of him that night and now who will own what he had prepared. James makes the same point while directing people to acknowledge their dependence on God. He said in James 4:13-15, Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are [just] a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, [you ought] to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.
Only God controls the future and that is why fulfilled prophecy of the future is such a strong proof of God’s hand. The Mosaic law required that anyone that gave prophecy of the future had to be 100 % accurate otherwise they were to be stoned to death as a false prophet (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).
This morning we begin our examination of the prophesies that were revealed to Daniel. In Daniel 2 we saw him interpret the prophetic dreams given to Nebuchadnezzar, but now we will find that Daniel himself will receive prophetic vision that he needs to have interpreted by an angel. Daniel will receive another prophetic vision in chapter 8 and a third one in chapter 10 for which he is given angelic interpretations as well as a prophetic answer to his prayer in Daniel 9. All of these concern the Gentile kingdoms that were to come and the final kingdom of the Lord that would replace them.
Humans will always have a strong interest in the near future, but the wise will pay more attention to the distant future. If I knew what would happen next I would probably live in fear of the evil I will have to face as the future unfolds. However, in knowing the eventual outcome of God’s eternal plan I can face whatever will come in the near future with confidence that He is with me through it all and will have the victory.
Daniel Receives a Dream – Daniel 7:1
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind [as he lay] on his bed; then he wrote the dream down [and] related the [following] summary of it.
The timing of this prophetic vision is the first year of Belshazzar. As we learned in our study of Daniel 5, Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus and who made him co-regent in 553 B.C. with responsibility over the province of Babylon. This is about 14 years before Daniel interpreted the writing on the wall for Belshazzar and Babylon fell to the Medes & Persians. (See: God’s Judgment of the Proud)
Daniel receives this revelation in a dream and visions of his head as he lay on his bed. He then wrote down a summary of what he had seen when he woke up. From the statements in the rest of the chapter, it appears that his dream consisted of a series of visions that he saw in his mind.
Daniel’s Dream & Response – Daniel 7:2-14
Daniel said, “I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 “And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. 4 “The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. 5 “And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs [were] in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’ 6 “After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 “After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 “While I was contemplating the horns,
behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts.
9 “I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. 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.
11 “Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. 12 “As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.
13 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and [men of every] language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.
15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. 16 “I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 ‘But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’ 19 “Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful . . .”
The dream and the visions in it distressed Daniel. We can certainly understand his alarm in just reading through what he recorded that he saw. He does not understand what it means and so while he is still dreaming he approaches a being that he saw standing nearby. We assume this to be an angelic being since it is angels that reveal the interpretation of his dreams in later chapters. Whoever this being might be, he gives Daniel a very brief interpretation of the visions he had seen.
The four great beasts represent four kingdoms that would arise. These would be followed by another kingdom that would be eternal that would be given to the saints of the Highest One. Daniel’s interest immediately turns to the fourth kingdom, which he describes as being exceedingly dreadful, and to the kingdom that would follow it.
The text does not record Daniel having any interest in the first three beasts or the kingdoms they represent. There are a couple of possible reasons for this. The first is that Daniel may have already figured out which kingdoms these would be because of his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision so many years earlier. (See: The Great Gentile Nations) His interest in the fourth kingdom and the eternal kingdom that would follow would be because so much more is said about them. Another possibility is that Daniel decided not to include any detail he might have received at that time because he was given so much greater detail concerning the second and third kingdoms in the vision he received a couple of years later which is recorded in chapter 8.
Whatever reason there may have been for the lack of detailed explanation of the first three kingdoms, it is not hard to figure them out since this vision parallels Nebuchadnezzar’s earlier vision recorded in Daniel 2.
The lion with the wings of an eagle represents the Babylonian empire. Winged lions could nearly be considered the symbol of Babylon for they were common decorations in it. Statutes of winged lions guarded the gates of the royal palaces in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar is compared to a loin in Jeremiah 50:17 and to an eagle in Ezekiel 17:3,7,12. The plucking of this lion and it being given a man’s heart is a good description of God’s humbling of Nebuchadnezzar recorded in Daniel 4. He became a very different man after his years of insanity and restoration in finally recognizing that the God of Daniel is the Most High God.
The second beast resembling a bear represents the Medo-Persian empire. It was a powerful empire, but slower and less majestic compared to Babylon. The beast is lopsided being raised up on one side just as was the Medo-Persian empire which came to be dominated by the Persians. While it is generally agreed that the three ribs in its mouth were other kingdoms they conquered, there is some debate as to which three are being referenced, but it probably is Babylon, Lydia and Egypt.
The third kingdom, the leopard with four wings and four heads, is Greece. A leopard is fast and this one is even faster having wings. Alexander the Great conquered with unprecedented speed. He defeated the Persian empire in 331 B.C. In just eight years his army took control of all the territory from Greece, across Asia Minor, through the Middle East and on to India. The four heads signified his four leading generals – Ptolemy, Seleucus, Philip and Antigonus – that later divided the kingdom after Alexander’s death.
The fourth beast is not described as any particular animal but rather as dreadful, terrifying and extremely strong. Daniel is most interested in knowing more about this kingdom and the visions he had concerning it.
The Fourth Beast – Daniel 7:19-26
Daniel’s Desire – vs. 19-22. “Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, [and which] devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet, 20 and [the meaning] of the ten horns that [were] on its head, and the other [horn] which came up, and before which three [of them] fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great [boasts,] and which was larger in appearance than its associates. 21 “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.”
Daniel repeated the description of the fourth beast and its actions. This beast was very different from the others and exceedingly dreadful and so it was occupying his mind. The angel explains what he was seeing starting in verse 23.
The Angel’s Explanation – Daniel 7:23-26. “Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the [other] kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. 24 ‘As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. 25 ‘And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 26 ‘But the court will sit [for judgment,] and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.”
This kingdom is Rome. The first part of the description is easy to equate with ancient Rome. Rome was different from the other ancient empires. In fact, this was the reason that Carthage ended up finally losing the Punic wars even though Hannibal had soundly defeated the Roman legions and could have easily marched on Rome and destroyed it, but Hannibal did not do so. He was under the illusi
on that having invaded its territory and defeated it armies, Rome would respond in the conventional Hellenistic manner and negotiate a final settlement between the two empires. He was wrong. Rome would not give up and would continue the war at all costs until it destroyed it enemies.
Once Rome began its expansion it became relentless in its quest to conquer. By 275 B.C. it had conquered the rest of Italy and began its conquest of the Mediterranean region around it. It fought three wars with Carthage. In the first war it conquered Sicily in 241 B.C. Hannibal, as already mentioned, defeated Roman armies but did not continue on to destroy Rome. Rome rebuilt its armies and then carried the war to North Africa and destroyed Carthage in 146 B.C. Even while fighting wars with Carthage, Roman armies were subduing other nations. Spain was annexed in 202 B.C. Antiochus III was defeated in 189 B.C. ceding his lands in Europe and Asia Minor. Greece was conquered in 149 B.C. and Macedonia became a province in 146 B.C. – the same year Carthage was destroyed. Southern France becomes a province in 128 B.C. Rome then destroyed the remains of the Seleucid Empire. The Armenian kingdom fell in 69 B.C., Syria becomes a Roman province in 64 B.C. and Pompey captured Jerusalem in 63 B.C. Rome invaded Egypt in 47 B.C. In the west, Caesar conquers the rest of France in 57 B.C., pushed north into Germany and west into southern Britain. Rome would eventually also extend its control over the area of Belgium, Switzerland and Germany west of the Rhine river.
The description of being dreadful, terrifying and extremely strong with large iron teeth along with devouring, crushing and trampling its enemies fits ancient Rome very well. Rome was not content with defeating an enemy, it set out to crush it thoroughly and so was known for its ruthless destruction of the nations it conquered. It had little compassion on captives killing them by the thousands, but preferring to make a profit on them by selling them into slavery by the hundreds of thousands. Its hardness and indifference to life is easily seen in the gladiators and slaughter that occurred in their arenas for entertainment.
Rome reached its zenith in A.D. 117 and then began a long slow decline. Its empire split in two with the western portion declining faster. Its last emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed in 476. The Eastern portion lasted much longer with its last emperor killed in AD. 1453 at the defeat of Constantinople by Mohammed II. However, this leaves the description of the 10 horns and what happens after in question. Despite the efforts of those who reject Daniel being prophetic, there is nothing in Roman or even Grecian history that corresponds with these 10 horns and another horn rising to replace three of them
This leaves three possibilities concerning verses 8-14, 20-22 and 24-27. 1) The writer of Daniel was an imposter who was wrong. 2) These prophecies are symbolically fulfilled in church history as is claimed in post-millennial and amillennial theology. 3) These are prophecies yet to be fulfilled in a revived Roman empire and the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth as is claimed in pre-millennial theology. I hold to this last viewpoint.
First, the evidence is that Daniel was written in the 6th Century B.C. and the prophecies in it concerning the first three kingdoms as well as the first part of the fourth kingdom have been fulfilled as given. Having already been proven to be accurate, there is no reason to reject the prophecies that are yet still future. In addition, it would be quite strange for someone supposedly writing after the fact to make such gross error.
Second, despite the great effort to find some sort of symbolic fulfillment of the events described as having occurred in the church age, nothing fits. All efforts to explain the 10 horns and the little horn that arises and subdues the three horns remain wildly speculative at best. This fourth kingdom is judged by the Ancient of Days and “annihilated and destroyed forever” and then possession of the kingdom is given to the saints (vs. 22) which will be an “everlasting kingdom” in which “all dominions will serve and obey Him” (vs. 27). Nothing in church history corresponds to this. The Roman Empire declined, but whatever role the church may have played in that decline, it was certainly not a judgment which annihilated it and destroyed it forever. Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the empire and changed the character of both the empire and the church, but it in no way annihilated and destroyed the Roman empire at that time or forever. In addition, one has to have quite an imagination to believe that all dominions are at present serving and obeying God. Especially when it is considered that more Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than all previous centuries combined and the current estimated rate of martyrdom in the world is about one Christian every five minutes.
The prophecies in Daniel do not give any clear indication of the church age in which we now live, but neither do they exclude it. The prophets often spoke of the first and second coming of the Lord in the same prophecy such as in Isaiah 61:1-2. Jesus commented on that very prophecy in Luke 4:18-22 and said it was being fulfilled that day in their hearing, except that Jesus stopped in the middle of the sentence of the prophecy because that last part of it concerns His future return. The “day of vengeance of our God” is something that will occur when Jesus returns as conquering king.
The ancient Roman empire is no more, but some form of this fourth kingdom will be revived in the future. According to the explanation given to Daniel, ten kings will arise with another king arising at a later time. This prophecy of ten kings may correspond with the 10 horned beast in Revelation 13:1; 17:12. This revived empire will consist of a combination of ten kingdoms with an eleventh one joining later. That latter kingdom, the little horn, will start small but will become more powerful and subdue three of the other kings (vs. 8, 20 & 24). This king will then become boastful even speaking out against the Most High (vs. 8, 20 & 24). The saints will be given into his hand for a time, times and half a time (vs. 25). This phrasing is also used in Daniel 12:7 and so we know it refers to a time period of three and a half years. During that time the saints, the followers of God, will be severely persecuted (vs. 21, 25). This prophecy matches well the description of the anti-Christ and the persecution of God’s people that occurs just prior to the coming of God’s judgment on mankind (Daniel 9:26-27; 12:1; Matthew 24:4-28; Revelation 6:9-11; 7:9-17).
This last king will even attempt to “make alterations in times and in law” which is direct defiance of God. God is the one that established time in all is aspects including the ways it would be measured and the periodic activities within it (Genesis 1:14; 8:22), the length of life (Psalm 31:15; 90:10), and the rule of kingdoms on the earth (Daniel 2:21; 7:12; Luke 21:24; Acts 1:7). God is also the one that establishes the laws of nature and moral law, and God set up human government to enforce His laws (Romans 13:3,4). This man will even strive to exercise authority over things that belong to God alone.
He is an evil man, but his time will be short and he will be judged by the court before the Ancient of Days (vs. 9,10, 22, 26). The description of the Ancient of Days and His court in verses 9 & 10 are majestic and glorious much like the descriptions in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4. This is a description of God the Father on His throne since the Son of Man comes before him in verse 13. The judgment rendered is not arbitrary but based on what has been recorded. God is not partial. He judges based on the deeds the person has done, and apart from being redeemed and justified by the Lord Jesus Christ, the very deeds of each individual will condemn them. This beast has its dominion taken away and is then slain and its body destroyed and given to the burning fire (vs. 11, 26).
The Final Kingdom – Daniel 7:27
After the destruction of the fourth beast, the final kingdom is established. ‘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.”
This corresponds to Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of the stone that was cut out with human hands, then smashed the idol and then became a great mountain that filled the earth. It is a kingdom set up by the God of heaven that will crush and put an end to all former kingdoms but will itself endure forever (Daniel 2:35, 44).
God’s people will be established as the final kingdom under the rule of the Son of Man. This is the Lord Jesus Christ who uses that very term for Himself throughout the gospels. This is a final kingdom, not a fifth kingdom, for verse 14 makes it clear that this is an everlasting dominion will not pass away or be destroyed. This is also a universal kingdom for all peoples, nations and men of every language will serve Him. All previous kingdoms were limited to the particular areas over which they held authority.
Daniel’s Response – Daniel 7:28
Daniel’s response to all of this was being overwhelmed. “At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”
We can well understand the alarming nature of these visions. They are both grand in scale, and troubling in detail. There is hope in the final kingdom, but the road to getting to that point is frightening. That is why I said earlier that knowing the details of the immediate future may cause fear of the evil that may have to be endured. However, I can have blessed assurance in the final outcome and I find comfort there.
We do not know the immediate future. We do know that the present time is very harsh on many of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. We also know that our own nation has had a rapid decline in both its morality and respect for Christians. It was not long ago that politicians had to at least feign some sort of Christian belief if they were going to be elected. Now, Christians who indicate they actually believe the Bible are ridiculed by the major media. Where this rising antagonism toward Christians in our nation will go in the immediate future remains to be seen. We do know that eventually there will arise an evil ruler that will persecute God’s saints wherever he can find them. Faith in Christ will come with it the very real threat of martyrdom. That exists now in some nations, but it will become fairly universal then.
If our focus is on those things, then we will lose heart. Our focus needs to be beyond that to the eternal perspective of the final kingdom. God never loses control. He does know what He is doing, and He will bring about the final kingdom in which the Lord Jesus Christ will reign in righteousness. Our tears will be wiped away and we will dwell in the comfort of His eternal presence. Until then, we have a responsibility to tell as many people as possible about salvation from sin by God’s grace through faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ and help them learn to walk by faith with Him in the present.
Do not be dismayed, do not be overwhelmed by evil either now or in the future. Keep your eyes fixed on the hope of His return and be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).
KIDS CORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Count how many times prophecy is mentioned. Discuss with your parents the dangers of trying to know the immediate future & the importance of knowing the eternal future.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. What is your interest in knowing the near future? What are some of the ways that man legitimately tries to predict the near future? What are some of the ways man opens the door to demonic influence in seeking to know the future? Why can’t man control the future? Why is fulfilled prophecy such a strong indicator of God’s hand? When was the first year of Belshazzar and where does that fit into the chronology of the book of Daniel? What was Daniel’s response to the dream and its visions? What do each of the first three beasts represent? How is the fourth beast different from the first three? What is the fourth beast and how was this kingdom different from the first three? Have the prophecies related to the ten horns and what occurs after been fulfilled? Why or why not? What other prophecies are also probably descriptions of the “little horn” and his actions? What is the nature of the final kingdom? Has this kingdom already come? Why or why not? What is Daniel’s response? Would you really want to know your immediate future? Why or why not? How important is it to know the eternal future and where you fit in it? What manner of life should you live until the Lord returns? Why?
Sermon Notes – 10/10/2011 –
The Vision of the Four Beasts – Daniel 7:1-28
Introduction
What will happen in the ___________ ? – Weather? Business? Politics? Risk management?
Man is not and cannot be in control of the ___________ – Luke 12, James 4:13-15
Only God controls the future which is why ___________ is such a strong proof of God’s hand
Humans have a natural interest in the near future, but the wise pay more attention to the ______________
Daniel Receives a Dream – Daniel 7:1
The first year of Belshazzar is 553 B.C. – This is ______________ before the events in Daniel 5
Daniel received a dream with visions in his head which he then summarized and _________ down
Daniel’s Dream & Response – Daniel 7:2-14
Daniel is __________ by the dream and the visions in it so while still dreaming he seeks an interpretation
The four great beasts represent four ____________ that would arise
Daniel does not show ___________ in the first three beasts, only the fourth and the one that follows it
The lion with the wings of an eagle represents the ________________ empire
The second beast resembling a bear represents the ________________empire
The leopard with four wings and four heads is the ________________ empire
The fourth beast is not a __________animal but is described as dreadful, terrifying and extremely strong
The Fourth Beast – Daniel 7:19-26
Daniel’s Desire – vs. 19-22
Daniel’s ___________ is preoccupied by the fourth beast and desires further understanding
The Angel’s Explanation – Daniel 7:23-26
The fourth beast is __________ – which was different from the other ancient empires
Once Rome began its expansion it became _____________ in its quest to conquer
275 B.C. – Italy. 241 B.C. – Sicily. 202 B.C. – Spain. 189 B.C. – Antiochus III defeated – Asia Minor
149 B.C. – Greece. 146 B.C. – Macedonia. 146 B.C. Carthage destroyed. 128 B.C. – Southern France
69 B.C. – Armenia. 64 B.C. – Syria. 63 B.C. – Jerusalem. 57 B.C. – France. 47 B.C. – Egypt
In the next century Rome would control Belgium, Switzerland and Germany west of the Rhine river
Rome was not content to defeat an enemy, it _________it with slaughter and selling captives into slavery
Rome reached its zenith in A.D. 117 followed by a slow decline with its last emperor killed in ________
What about the Ten horns and what followed? – Daniel 7:8-14, 20-22 and 24-27?
1) Daniel was wrong – No. Daniel is _____________ prophecy in what has already been fulfilled
2) The prophecies are symbolically fulfilled in church history – No.
All efforts to explain the 10 horns and little horn in church history remain wildly ___________
______________ comparative to the final kingdom has yet occurred.
O.T. prophecies give little indication of the ___________ age – compare Isaiah 61:1-2 with Luke 4:18-22
3) The prophecies are to be fulfilled in the future in a ____________ Roman empire
Only a __________ king will be able to fulfill the acts and great evil done by the “little horn”
Only a __________evil king will be given such power for 3 ½ years & then destroyed by God
The Final Kingdom – Daniel 7:27
This corresponds to Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of the _______that smashes the idol and then fills the earth
God’s people will be established as the ___________ kingdom under the rule of the Son of Man.
This final kingdom is universal with an ___________dominion which will not pass away or be destroyed
Daniel’s Response – Daniel 7:28
The visions are grand in scale, troubling in detail and so very ____________
The near future can be _______________, but this is to be tempered by knowing the eventual conclusion
Keep your focus on the ____________ perspective.
Until the Lord’s return: Proclaim the ___________, Walk by faith in godliness, Do not be dismayed
Keep your hope fixed on the Lord’s return, Remain _____________- 1 Corinthians 15:58
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