DANIEL'S 2ND VISION - DANIEL 8

In Daniel 8, God gives Daniel another vision of the future. This vision occurs in the third year of Belshazzar’s reign, so two years after his first vision.

We have seen two visions of future kingdoms so far. In each one, the Lord God revealed some of the future progression of kingdoms in the world.

The first vision was given to Nebuchadnezzar. It consisted of a man with a golden head and a body made of different metals representing succeeding kingdoms. The last kingdom was a rock that that smashed the preceding kingdom and lasted forever, so we believe it to represent Christ and is eternal kingdom.

The second vision was also given to Nebuchadnezzar. In chapter 4, Daniel recorded the dream that represented Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation and restoration.

The third vision is Daniel’s first vision, recorded in chapter 7. It was a vision of of several beasts, also representing kingdoms in succession after Babylon. But in this one, we see Christ as the Son of Man, coming to the Father in heaven and receiving his kingdom and dominion over all the world.

Now, in verse 8, Daniel receives another vision that tells of future kingdoms. This succession of kingdoms gives us different views of the future of earthly kingdoms from time of Daniel onward. Where Daniel’s first vision gave symbolic pictures of the future and occurred in an unspecified place, this second vision gave specific details of the future (from Daniel’s time) and occurs in a specific place.

8:1-2
A Transporting Vision

When the vision began, Daniel was transported both in time and place. He went to Susa in Elam. Susa would become an important center of government for the Persian empire. In Daniel’s time, it is simply the capital of Elam. Elam had been an independent country, but had been conquered by and made a province of Babylonia. This vision is similar to Ezekiel’s visions, when he was transported to other places.

8:3-4
The Ram

Daniel saw a ram with two horns, one higher than the other. The ram went west, north and south and none could stand before it. It was great and did as it pleased. The ram seemed invincible.

8:5-8
The Goat

But then, a goat appeared. It had one horn in the middle of its head. It defeated the ram. Then its horn was broken and replaced by 4 horns that faced in four directions.

8:9-12
The Little Horn

Out of the 4 horns came a little horn that became great. It grew in several directions, including to the glorious land, Israel. It became as great as the Prince of the host. It took away the burn offering and overthrew the sanctuary. Verse 12 says this was done because of transgression.


8:13-14
How Long?

A holy one, who was watching this vision with Daniel, asked how long would this time be where the sanctuary is desolated and the offering removed. The answer was given by another holy one: 2,300 days until the sanctuary would be restored.

8:15-26
The Explanation

Daniel did not understand the vision and asked about it. This time, Daniel is told not just the ultimate meaning, but specific details. He received this information from none other than the angel Gabriel.

Gabriel must be impressive in appearance, for Daniel saw him and fell into a deep sleep. Gabriel’s name means “mighty one of God”, also leading us to believe he was impressive in appearance.

Here are the things Gabriel explains.

the vision is for the time of the end. (17) He did not, however, say the end of what. I do not think it means the end of time, but the end of the time of Antiochus IV, who persecuted the Jews. Gabriel said he would make known to Daniel what would happen toward the end of the “indignation”. I think the indignation (wrath in the NIV) refers to the time of suffering.

The ram with 2 horns is the kingdom of the Medes and Persians The Medes came first, but the Persians took over the kingdom in 550 B.C.

The goat is the kingdom of Greece. (21) The great horn between the goat’s eyes is the first king. We know this to be Alexander the Great. The great horn was broken. Alexander died young in 323 B.C. He conquered the Mediterranean basin on both sides, the Middle East and all the way to the border of India. He reached as far as Afghanistan and Pakistan (in modern terms).

The 4 horns that came from the great horn, were the 4 kingdoms that arose from Alexander’s kingdom. It was split into 4 parts, but none of the kings had Alexander’s power. These kings had been Alexander’s generals.

The little horn grew great. This represents Antiochus IV, Epiphanies, who ruled what is called the Seleucid kingdom, from 175 B.C. to 164 B.C. I do not think this is the same as the little horn in chapter 7, since this is in the Greek period and the one in chapter 7 was in the Roman period.
Antiochus tried to force the Jews to become Greeks and give up the worship of Yahweh. Antiochus thought he was the incarnation of Zeus, so he took the name Epiphanies. He seemed to take on even God, the Price of princes. So we see that behind Antiochus is the power of Satan. He threw some of the hosts and some of the stars to the ground and trampled on them. (10) There is a battle between God and Satan that occurs along with the battles on earth. Ephesians 5:10-12 makes this clear. This will be shown more in chapter 10. God may allow Satan to prevail for a while to accomplish his own purposes, but will prevail.

The Jews revolted at one point. Antiochus ordered that all worship Zeus as supreme God and sent his army to enforce the law. He destroyed Jerusalem, dedicated the temple to the worship of Zeus, made offerings on the alter that were defiling, outlawed the Sabbath and the feasts and killed the resisters. He destroyed copies of the Scriptures, throwing truth to the ground. You can read about this in the First and Second Book of Maccabees.

The Jews revolted again under the Maccabees and restored the temple in 164 B.C. Zechariah 9:13 says “For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wiled you like a warrior’s sword.”

The little horn would kill many and he would oppose God. He is a type of the Antichrist. John used this same imagery for the dragon in Revelation 12. But he would be broken by God (no human hand). (25)

Gabriel did not explain the 2,300 evenings and mornings that the temple and the Israelites would be “trampled underfoot”. So any attempted interpretation is speculation. If it simply means days, It is hard to calculate the days into a time period that reflects the whole time of Antiochus’ reign, but God may have had specific events in minds from which to count. But it does show God has a specific time table for this period of suffering as he did for the exile of 70 years.
Daniel is told to seal up the vision because it referred to many days in the future from Daniel. (26) It had to be sealed to protect it.

Basically, God showed Daniel that, as he had destroyed Jerusalem through the Babylonians for their transgressions, he would do a similar thing again with Antiochus. Remember Gabriel said this was done “because of transgressions”. Some would say the transgression is that of the little horn, but it seems to be that the transgression is by Israel because it suffers for its transgressions and the horn does not. God would not turn over the city and the temple to destruction other than for the sin of Israel. This is the ultimate curse for disobedience in Deuteronomy 28. Additionally, Daniel 9 will include a prayer of repentance. And even further, this vision parallels that of Ezekiel in almost every instance, and Ezekiel’s vision foretold the destruction of Jerusalem as a result of its sin.

Daniel was overcome and sick after the vision. He understood it meant a long period of suffering and persecution for his people. It also mean his people would again become apostate and subject to God’s wrath. It had to be extra sad since he had seen the coming of the kingdom of God in chapter 7, but now saw that much suffering would occur before that time.

The question for many believers throughout time has been, how do we cope with suffering and persecution while waiting for the Lord’s deliverance? We see in this chapter kingdoms that looked invincible. They were powerful and crushed all who opposed them, even the people of God, Israel. Yet, the Lord God directed their actions, their rise to power and their fall, as it suited his purposes.

And God does the same in your life. All of the monsters you face, your problems, are subject to him just as the powerful kingdoms are. Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ. (Romans 8:28-29)

GRACE

Christianity is not a religion of moralism, it is a gospel religion of grace. Burke Parsons

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the measurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your doing: it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast. Galatians 2:4-9

Calvin on abortion

"For the fetus, though enclosed in the womb of its mother, is already a human being, and it is a monstrous crime to rob it of the life which it has not yet begun to enjoy. If it seems more horrible to kill a man in his own house than in a field, because a man's house is his place of most secure refuge, it ought surely to be deemed more atrocious to destroy a fetus in the womb before it has come to light." - John Calvin

The Triumph of the Son of Man (part 2)

7:13-14
The Son of Man

The first part of Daniel 7 showed us a picture of earth’s history of a succession of evil kingdoms opposed to God. Each was temporary, although powerful, culminating in the most powerful kingdom of all in the 4th beast. Despite their power, each ended in judgment and destruction by God.

It shows us that God will let sinful man run his course for a time. But, at the end of that time, God will demonstrate his power and sovereignty by judging the kingdoms of evil.

The next part of the vision, recorded in verses 13 and 14, showed one like the son of man arrive in heaven on the clouds. This is an Aramaic term meaning “human being” as contrasted to the beasts.

But it takes on more meaning for us than it would for Daniel, for it is used 69 times in the Synoptic Gospels and 12 times in the Gospel of John to refer to Christ. It is also the title Jesus most often used of himself. The Hebrew term translated “son of man” was also used to mean a human being in contrast with the divine being. Numbers 23:19 says “God is to man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind.

The image of one like the son of man in Daniel 7 is used to portray Christ in Revelation 1:13.

The Son of Man comes with the clouds. In the Old Testament, only God comes on the clouds. It is a symbol of divinity. For example:
Isaiah 19:1 says “Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud”:
Ezekiel’s first vision of the glory of the Lord began with a cloud that had brightness around it. (Ezekiel 1:4)
When God came to Mount Sinai to make a covenant with Israel, there was a thick cloud on the mountain. (Exodus 19:16)
At his trial, Jesus was asked by the high priest if he was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus said he would see the Son of man seated at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. The high priest accused him of blasphemy, understanding he was claiming to be God. (Matthew 26:57-68)

The Son of man was presented to the Ancient of Days. This is how we know he ascended to heaven in this vision. The Son was presented to the Father. The son received dominion, glory and a kingdom. This must have been confusing to Daniel, for this Son of Man had human and divine traits. It makes sense to us, though, for we know Jesus was fully human and fully divine on earth and will keep his appearance, in glorified form, for eternity.

In this kingdom all peoples, nations, and languages serve and worship the Son. This is the same language used in the kings proclamations in Daniels to refer to all the people of the world. The dominion of the Son will last forever. it will never pass away. It cannot be destroyed, unlike the kingdoms represented by the beasts. (14)

7:15-16a
Daniel Asks For An Interpretation

Daniel was anxious. These terrifying images scared him. He did not know what they meant. So he asked one of the beings standing there in the court of judgment what it meant. And this person gave Daniel the meaning, the interpretation.

Before we go on to the interpretation, let us pause for a moment to think. Where God, in his Word, gives us an interpretation, we are bound by it. We cannot interpret the symbols differently. But, further, when God gives us the interpretation, he tells us the part upon which he wants us to focus. In our scatter brained human way, we often want to spend our time trying to figure out or speculate on other matters and miss the point. When God gives us the point, let us focus on that point.


7:17-18
The Interpretation - Short Version

Daniel was anxious about the vision. The beasts were scary and the implications for God’s people were dire, at least until the beasts were defeated.

The person Daniel asked gave a very specific meaning of the vision. He said the four beasts are four kings on earth. But the saints of God will receive a kingdom that lasts forever. That, my friends is the point of the vision.

So, not only will Christ reign, we will reign with him. 2 Timothy 2:12 says “if we endure, we will also reign with him”.

But, our first instinct is to try and figure out what kingdoms are represented by the beasts. Volumes have been written on this. The problem is, God did not reveal it other than in very general terms. In retrospect, we may find kingdoms that exhibited the traits mentioned. But so did other kingdoms. And, no time period is given. But the point remains, kings will rise and fall, they will get worse as time goes on, but ultimately God’s kingdom will come and saints will enjoy it forever.

7:19-27
More About The 4th Beast

Daniel, like us, wanted to know more. He especially wanted to know more about the 4th beast, for it was terrifying. and different than the others. It also had those horns, including the little horn that spoke.

Evidently, the vision continued as Daniel asked his questions. Think of a child asking his father questions during a movie. As the vision continued, the little horn made war with the saints and even prevailed against them until the Ancient of Days came and judged the beast on behalf of the saints.

The person still does not identify the beast as a particular king or kingdom. But he describes more fully the actions of the beast. He adds that:
he will speak words against the most high;
he will wear out the saints;
he will think to change the times and the law; and
the saints are given into his hand for a time, times and half a time. But, in the end, the court still judges him, God takes away his dominion and destroys him. (26)

Again, the person says that, in the end, the saints receive an everlasting kingdom that is God’s kingdom.

7:28
Still Alarmed

Daniel was still alarmed. He focused on the beasts, and especially the 4th beast, and was afraid. It is the first time we have seen Daniel actually afraid or alarmed.

So, in a way, Daniel missed the point of the vision, as many today miss the point. That is because he focused on the wrong thing. He focused on the beasts and not the victory of God.

If God wanted Daniel, and us, to know the identity of the beasts, he could easily have told us. Many have firm beliefs as to what they are. All of that time spent on such conjecture, however, is wasted to a large extent. The better thing would be to focus on the message God intentionally delivered: things will get bad on earth, the saints will suffer, but God will triumph and those who believe in Jesus will triumph with him, enjoying a perfect kingdom forever in God’s presence.

There are those who believe that humankind will make things better and better until the end. That is not the message of Daniel. Daniel’s message is that things get worse until the new age, the new kingdom arrives.

The end of the beasts, even the most powerful one, is judgment and destruction. All kingdoms and kings that have power on earth and exercise it against God and his people will be judged when Jesus returns, and will be destroyed by eternal punishment in Hell.

Come Lord Jesus!

DANIEL 7: THE TRIUMPH OF THE SON OF MAN (part 1)

7:1
I Dreamed A Dream

The writer dates this dream for us. It is out of chronological order for the book. Daniel saw this dream and vision in the first year of Belshazzar’s reign. This would put the event somewhere between chapters 3 and 4. The Babylonians still ruled the world. They seemed invincible.

The night vision granted to Daniel in the first year of Belshazzar’s reign is a rich source from which the imagery of John’s visions will be drawn in Revelation.

The message of this apocalyptic vision is simple: hope for God’s people that are oppressed, for victory belongs ultimately and permanently to God and his people.


7:2-8
The Beasts

The first things Daniel saw in his dream, or vision, was a series of beasts. They were all terrifying. Each was worse than the preceding ones.

The beasts came up out of the sea. (3) The sea was churning with the winds of heaven. Remember that the sea was seen by those in the Middle East as dangerous and scary. It was the epitome of chaos and evil. It symbolized rebellion against God. For the beasts to come out of the sea, then, indicated they would bring danger and evil to God’s people.

The first beast was like a lion, but it had eagles wings. it is a combination of two unclean (under Old Testament law) animals. This beast was lifted up to stand on two feet like a man and the mind of man was given to it. (4)

The second beast was like a bear. (5) It raised up one side, as if to attack. It had 3 ribs in its mouth from something it had already devoured. But it was told to “devour much flesh”. (5)

The third beast was like a leopard, but with 4 wings on its back. (6) As if that were not enough, it had four heads. Dominion was given to it, meaning it ruled over other nations.

Finally the fourth beast was the most terrifying of all. Not much is told of its appearance. It was terrifying, dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth that destroyed everything in its path. It stamped on the remains with its feet.

The fourth beast also had 10 horns. (7) Horns are symbols of power. Ten hors symbolizes massive strength.

While Daniel looked at the 10 horns, another, small horn came up, causing 3 of the first horns to be uprooted. This horn had eyes like a man and was boasting (saying great things).

We will see in verse 17 that each beast represents a king, each worse than the preceding one.

This vision all occurs on earth, from the sea to the land. But the next verses, 9-10, shift the scene from earth to heaven.

7:9-10
God on his Throne

While on earth the beasts caused chaos and destruction, the scene is heaven is quite different. Thrones were set up. In the center, God the Father, the Ancient of Days, took his seat on his throne. Daniel’s first sight in heaven is dominated by God on his throne. Likewise, when John is taken to heaven in his vision in Revelation, the first thing he saw was God seated on his glorious throne. (Revelation 4:2-3)

In Daniel’s vision, the throne was fiery flames. It wheels were burning fire, reminding us of Ezekiel’s vision of a throne in Ezekiel 1, with fire all about and wheels that blazed with the fire of the four living creatures that bore it.

Daniel saw other thrones as well, the picture of a court of judgment by rulers. (9) In fact, it says the court sat in judgment and the books were opened. (10) The idea is that the books are accounts of the sins of all who lived on earth. Those are the books Daniel also saw, as judgment is about to come in his vision also.

John also saw 24 thrones and 24 elders sitting on them. (Revelation 4:4) John also saw judgment as books were opened. (Revelation 20:11-12) Daniel had no other book. But John saw the Book of Life containing the names of all who are in Christ and, therefore, saved in full.

Daniel described God anthropomorphically. He described human traits, but these, I believe, are symbols. God’s hair was white, probably symbolizing wisdom. (John in Revelation says the Son of Man’s head and hair are white like wool or snow.) His clothing was white, symbolizing purity. Fire came out from the throne, symbolizing the power and right to judge and destroy his evil enemies.

God is also attended by an uncountable number (then thousand times then thousand) beings who served him. (10)

7:11-12
Judgment of the Beasts

The speaking horn continued to boast up to the last minute when the beast was killed, its body destroyed, and it was given over to be burned with fire. The other beasts suffered the removal of their dominion, but lived for a while longer.

7:13-14
The Son of Man

The next part of the vision showed one like the son of man arrive in heaven on the clouds. This is an Aramaic term meaning “human being” as contrasted to the beasts. But it takes on more meaning for us than it would for Daniel, for it is used 69 times in the Synoptic Gospels and 12 times in the Gospel of John to refer to Christ. It is also the title Jesus most often used of himself.
The image of one like the son of man in Daniel 7 is used to portray Christ in Revelation 1:13.

The Son of Man comes with the clouds. In the Old Testament, only God comes on the clouds. It is a symbol of divinity. For example, Isaiah 19:1 says “Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud”. Ezekiel’s first vision of the glory of the Lord began with a cloud that had brightness around it. (Ezekiel 1:4) When God came to Mount Sinai to make a covenant with Israel, there was a thick cloud on the mountain. (Exodus 19:16) At his trial, Jesus was asked by the high priest if he was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus said he would see the Son of man seated at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. The high priest accused him of blasphemy, understanding he was claiming to be God. (Matthew 26:57-68)

The Son of man was presented to the Ancient of Days. The Son was presented to the Father. The son received dominion, glory and a kingdom. This must have been confusing to Daniel, for this Son of Man had human and divine traits. It makes sense to us, though, for we know Jesus was fully human and fully divine on earth and will keep his appearance, in glorified form, for eternity.

In this kingdom all peoples, nations, and languages serve and worship the Son. This is the same language used in the kings proclamations in Daniels to refer to all the people of the world. The dominion of the Son will last forever. it will never pass away. It cannot be destroyed, unlike the kingdoms represented by the beasts. (14)

Fellowship

So between the death of Christ and the Last Day it is only by a gracious anticipation of the last things that Christians are privileged to live in visible fellowship with other Christians. It is by the grace of God that a congregation is permitted to gather visibly in this world to share God’s Word and sacrament. Not all Christians receive this blessing. The imprisoned, the sick, the scattered lonely, the proclaimers of the Gospel in heathen lands stand alone.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community (New York, NY: HarperOne, 1954), 18.

Going Forward

Good article by Beth Moore at www.stream.org.