Daniel 7 “The Big Picture”

This chapter will be different than my usual course of study. The entire chapter is describing this vision which Daniel received. He relates its basic elements first, then records the explanations he is given. One has to read the entire chapter to actually piece together everything Daniel wants to say about the vision. That being the case, one needs to study the chapter as a total unit. It doesn’t necessarily lend itself to my usual simple verse by verse consideration.

All of that said, I will first present here my fairly literal translation of the entire chapter, then only refer back to it as I try to draw helpful truths from what it teaches:

Chapter 7

¹In the first year to Belshazzar, the king of Babel, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head upon his bed. Then he wrote the dream. He told the sum of the matters. ²Daniel, answering and saying, “Seeing I was in my vision with the night and behold, the four of the winds of the heavens [were] stirring up the great sea, ³and four great beasts [were] coming up from the sea, being changed this from this. ⁴The first [was] like a lion and wings of an eagle [were] to it. One seeing I was until its wings were plucked off and it was lifted up from the earth and on feet like a man it was made to stand and a heart of a man was given to it. ⁵And behold, another beast, a second, one resembling a bear, and to one side it was raised up and three ribs [were] in its mouth between its teeth and thus ones saying to it, ‘Rise up! Eat much flesh!’ ⁶After this, I was seeing and behold, another like a leopard and to it four wings of a bird on its side and four heads to the beast and dominion was given to it. ⁷After this, I was seeing in the visions of the night and behold, the beast the fourth, fearful and terrifying, and exceedingly strong and [it had] great teeth of iron to it, one devouring and one crushing and the remainder in its feet one trampling, and it [was] one differing from the all of the beasts which [were] before it and [it had] ten horns to it. ⁸I was considering in the horns and behold, another little horn came up between them and three from the first horns were uprooted from before it and behold, eyes like the eyes of a man [were] in this horn and a mouth speaking great things. ⁹I was one seeing until thrones were set up and [the] Ancient of Days sat. His robe [was] white as snow and the hair of His head [was] like pure wool. His throne [was] flames of fire. Its wheels [were] burning fire. ¹⁰A river of fire [was] flowing, coming out from before Him. The court sat and [the] books were opened. ¹¹I was one seeing then from the sound of the great words which the horn [was] speaking, I was seeing until the beast was slain and his body was given to the burning of the fire, ¹²and [as for] the rest of the beasts, their dominions were taken away and lengthening in life was given to them until a time and a season. ¹³I was seeing in the visions of the night and behold, with the clouds of the heavens, [One] like a Son of Man was coming and until the Ancient of Days He came and before Him they brought Him near. ¹⁴And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom and the all of the peoples, the nations, and the languages will serve Him. His dominion [is] an eternal dominion which will not pass away and His kingdom will not be destroyed.

¹⁵As for me, Daniel, my spirit in the midst of its body was distressed, and the visions of my head alarmed me. ¹⁶I approached upon one from the ones standing and I asked the truth from him upon the all of this and he spoke to me and the meaning of the things he informed me. ¹⁷“These great beasts which those four [are] four kings. They will arise from the earth, ¹⁸and the holy ones of [the] Most High (pl.) will receive the kingdom and they will take possession of the kingdom until the forever and until the forever of the forever.”

¹⁹Then I desired to make certain upon the fourth beast which one differing from all of them, very frightening, its teeth which [were] iron and its claws which [were] bronze, one devouring, one crushing, and the remainder in its feet trampling, ²⁰and upon the ten horns which [were] in its head and [the] other which came up, and three fell from before it, and that horn and eyes to it, and a mouth saying great things and its appearance [was] great from its fellows. ²¹I was seeing and that horn [was] one making war with [the] holy ones and overpowering them, ²²until the Ancient of Days came and the judgment was given to [the] holy ones of [the] Most High (pl,), and the time came and [the] holy ones took possession of the kingdom.

²³So he said, “The fourth beast, the fourth kingdom, will be in the earth which will differ from the all of the kingdoms and it will devour the all of the earth and trample it and break it to pieces, ²⁴and the ten horns from this kingdom [are] ten kings. They will arise and another will rise after them and he will differ from the former ones and three kings he will bring low. ²⁵And he will speak words to the side of the Most High and the holy ones of [the] Most High (pl.) he will wear away and he will intend to change times and law, and they will be given in his hand until a time and times and one half of a time, ²⁶ and the court will sit and his dominion they will take away to annihilate and to destroy until the end. ²⁷And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of [the] kingdoms under the all of the heavens will be given to the people, the holy ones of [the] Most High (pl.). His kingdom [will be] an eternal kingdom and the all of the dominion will worship and obey Him.”

²⁸Here is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me and my countenance was changed upon me and I kept the matter in my heart.

I note again that this is a fairly literal translation. I have tried to pretty much translate word for word from the Aramaic. Where I had to insert words to make it at all intelligible, I placed them in brackets, such as including “[were]” where that verb simply is not expressed in the Aramaic. As I have often related, the ancient languages tended to be picture languages. In English we are trying to be very technical and precise and we have to say, as it were, every single word necessary to convey our thought. In the ancient languages, it is more as if they were painting pictures with their (few) words, and those pictures convey their meaning. If you go back and read through my translation, disregarding my “[…]” insertions, you might be able to see how what is presented is really a series of pictures, not a linearly logical, technically precise composition.

Looking at this chapter, first of all, I want to step back and consider what we may observe from the entire thing. Obviously, in this vision, the Lord shows Daniel the entire sweep of human history from then until eternity itself. The vision, in that sense, is obviously the same as Nebuchadnezzar’s dream from chapter 2. From both we learn that human history will consist of four major kingdoms which will be brought to an end when the Messiah (the “Son of Man”) returns to establish His eternal kingdom.

The huge difference in the two visions is that in the first, the four kingdoms are represented as precious metals of declining value, from the golden head down to the legs and feet of iron, with finally feet of iron mixed with clay. Precious metals. That is how the world sees itself. I’m sure Nebuchadnezzar liked having his kingdom represented as gold. However, here in Daniel 7, it is as if the same vision is being related, only from God’s perspective. The four kingdoms thus are beasts.

We should observe that the Lord is not impressed with us! We think all we do in this world is gold and silver. The Lord sees it all as bestial. We are impressed with this world’s “glory” and “pomp.” The Lord is not. Guess who is right.?

As observed before, Daniel would be about 67 years old here in the first year of Belshazzar’s reign, so he is receiving this vision essentially as an old man. However, I would suggest that he a long time ago realized these things for himself. He was drug here to Babylon to live and work in a palace literally plated in gold and silver, surrounded by every delight and pleasure known to man. Yet he obviously was not deceived by it all. Somehow he saw it as the same “drunken whore” as it is described in Revelation 19.  We are impressed by riches and power. Daniel was not. In the big scheme of things, this vision would teach us to view this world like the Lord and like Daniel. May we be reminded, right off the bat, to “set our affections on things above, not on the things of this world.” As Jesus warned us, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses.” Paul said, “They that would be rich (like the rest of the world) pierce themselves through with many sorrows.” Instead, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Let us be reminded that the grand sweep of human history is racing toward God’s eternal kingdom and build our lives around what really matters!

Then ponder for a moment the fact that the Lord did give us these visions (Nebuchadnezzar’s and Daniel’s). What a kindness on His part. Here I sit as a believer with what I believe is a pretty clear understanding of “the big picture.” I know we are living in the time near the end of the Fourth Beast’s kingdom, that it will only get worse, but that, for sure, the day is coming when the “stone cut without hands” will smash the kingdoms of this world, and Jesus will reign forever.

Contrast that with the average “man on the street.” They have no idea. To the rest of the world, this is all a totally random tumbling of some evolutionary accident where we are all just overgrown amoebas. We might actually amount to something or (more likely) will finally “push the button” and totally destroy ourselves. Nothing is certain. No one is guiding the ship.

How kind of the Lord to give us these visions from the book of Daniel (along with the other prophecies of the Bible), so that we can live our lives knowing all day every day there is Someone guiding the ship, that our future is certain, and that God’s kingdom is the right one to live for! Because we know “the big picture,” Jesus’ words can make perfect sense to us: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”

This world is a scary place. For me, if it wasn’t for God’s Word, I personally would have no hope for the human race. I personally do not see things getting “better and better.” We invent a few new toys every year, then turn them into bombs. We create a world wide web, then use it to “hack” and “phish” and spy literally right into people’s bedrooms and hound them with ads. To me, it’s not pretty.

But I know it’s not forever. It’s all just the “drunken whore,” “deceiving the nations,” but Jesus is what really matters. God gives us a view of the big picture so that we can live in certainty

I don’t know that I have ever paused to appreciate this kindness of the Lord. Having worked my way slowly through Daniel chapter 7, I’m amazed what a blessing this is.

Thank you, Lord!  

 

Daniel 7:1 “Putting on the Armor”

Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹In the first year to Belshazzar, the king of Babel, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head upon his bed. Then he wrote the dream. He told the sum of the matters.

And so it begins. The first six chapters of Daniel have been historical. From chapter 7 on, we get to read about several visions that were given to Daniel. For some time I have been anxiously looking forward to studying chapter 7 to 12 for two reasons. The first is that chapter 7 is the last one written in Aramaic. Starting at 8:1, Daniel goes back to Hebrew. I am glad I got the opportunity to work with the Aramaic, just for the fun of working in yet another language. However, I am looking forward to getting back into Hebrew. The two languages are very similar, then again they’re not. I can honestly say I enjoy working in Hebrew, but I find the Aramaic laborious. I will struggle my way through it here in chapter 7, then look forward very much to getting back to Hebrew in chapter 8.

The second reason I’ve been anxious to get into this study is that, in chapters 7 through 12, we see Daniel interacting with the spirit world. He not only sees the visions themselves, but he is actually speaking with and interacting with angels. He truly gets to see the spiritual warfare that is swirling around us. The thing that intrigues me is to realize that same spiritual battle is still raging around us today, we just can’t see it with our eyes. However, I believe by following Daniel through these visions and his various interactions and observations, we can all learn to perhaps see something of that battle ourselves. We must see it by faith and not by sight, but still I believe we can see it – or at least see it better than we have in the past. I’m hoping that Daniel will awaken in us a clearer perception of that battle. I have wondered for a long time if that clearer perception wasn’t part of what made Daniel who he was. Maybe if, through his example, we ourselves can catch even a glimpse of that clearer perception, it will make us just a little more like him. Maybe if we really were more aware of that great spiritual battle raging around us, we ourselves would be strengthened to make better choices, to do a better job of serving our God while this, our story, is being written?

And so it begins. This first verse is, once again, one of those verses that seem very matter of fact, a simple statement to start the chapter. However, what I find is so much truth, it’s hard to know even where to begin. First of all, we should all note, this is the first year of Belshazzar’s rule. We should note that chapter 5, the handwriting on the wall, was the end of Belshazzar’s rule. So, as he writes chapter 7,  Daniel has not yet been through that “hand writing on the wall” and also he hadn’t been through the lions’ den experience of chapter 6. Although we’ve already read about them in the book of Daniel, they have not yet occurred as Daniel writes what we’re reading in chapter 7.

Note too, we are at the beginning of Belshazzar’s rule. The year itself is enormously significant if we think about the history surrounding it. This is believed to be the year 553 BC. Daniel was exiled to Babylon in 605 BC, so in 553 BC he has been there for about 52 years. If he was 15 then, he is now 67 years old. Here in 553 BC, only 10 years have passed since Nebuchadnezzar died in 562.

Daniel served under Nebuchadnezzar for 42 years. As I related in chapter 4, I believe Daniel had grown to love and respect Nebuchadnezzar. He was a cruel, angry tyrant, but he was actually an excellent administrator – possibly one of the best in human history. I have myself worked under men who were excellent administrators and I can personally testify how easy it is to come to love and respect them, even if they have other issues. I think in particular of two bosses I had, both of whom were complete jerks. The one, on the other hand, really was a good administrator and I definitely learned to admire that quality in him. The other was a terrible manager, along with being a jerk. I can’t type the words that come to my mind thinking of him. We should note, for Daniel’s sake, that he probably fondly remembered those years under Nebuchadnezzar when things “were done right” and when there was a capable administrator at the helm.

It was great that he got to enjoy working under Nebuchadnezzar for nearly his entire career and certainly what could have been his entire adult life.

However, that was 11 years ago now. After Nebuchadnezzar died, his son Evil-Merodach ruled only two years before his brother-in-law Neriglissar assassinated him and took the throne. Neriglissar only ruled for six years before Labashi-Marduk assassinated him and he became king. He however, was almost immediately killed by Nabonidus who took the throne and began to rule in 556 BC. Nabonidus was the father of Belshazzar and, in 553 BC, declared him to be his vice-regent, then left to tend business in other parts of the empire. Nabonidus had married a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, which made Belshazzar Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson.

So now here we are in 553 BC. In only 11 years, Daniel has had to watch as four different kings have occupied Nebuchadnezzar’s throne. Daniel, being involved at the very top of the government, probably knew every one of these men. He probably already knew they were each conniving, back-stabbing charlatans and now he has to watch as one after another takes the throne. Finally, he sees Belshazzar serving as king. He’s probably known him since he was born. He’s probably watched Belshazzar grow up, a snotty little brat who has grown into an arrogant, completely inept ruler, who’d rather throw a party than actually govern the kingdom.

What a grief all of that must have been for Daniel! However, we should note it really isn’t anything unfamiliar. Anyone of us with a few gray hairs has worked under good bosses and bad. We can work at jobs with really great bosses, then suddenly someone else is in charge and everything changes. In this world, governments rise and fall, companies are constantly changing, and churches usually see a steady stream of different pastors. If we would have the faith of Daniel, we’ll have to have it in our ever-changing world, just like he did.

If I may add to this, one more reality in Daniel’s world was that he would have also been aware that Medo-Persia was rising in power to the east, even as Babylon was suffering under one inept ruler after another. Daniel knew about the 70 years and he knew that, after the head of gold there would be the chest and arms of silver. He knew the fall of Babylon was imminent. We don’t know, at this point, how much more he knew, but I can only assume he had no idea how it would all affect him. New kings often kill the counsellors of the previous king. Each time Babylon got a new king, Daniel wouldn’t know what that would mean for him. How much more so if a completely different nation ruled over them? It was not at all uncommon, when another nation conquered a city, they would literally kill everyone in that city, then move in.

As Daniel 7 opens and we read it was the “first year of Belshazzar the king” we should realize that, for Daniel, it is a topsy-turvy world of almost complete uncertainty, with a great deal to legitimately fear. I would suggest our world today in 2023 is not much different. I was born and grew up in an America I could be proud of, but now I find my heart conflicted to even recite the Pledge of Allegiance. I do, out of respect for all the service people who made our nation what it was. However, we are now ruled by grossly incompetent, totally crooked bald-faced liars who, like Belshazzar, are there only for there own riches, power, and pleasures. The nation that was “for the people and by the people” is now “for the politicians and by the politicians.” The real truth is we are rapidly ourselves becoming just another third world nation

Add to this that, even as I type, we are watching China rise to world eminence. With Daniel, I fear it’s only a matter of time before our wicked, incompetent government falls to China. It’s bad enough to have the atheists ruling in America, but when China steps in, we can only fear what their tyranny will bring. Once again, if we would live the faith of Daniel, we’ll have to live it in a world not so different than his!

With all of that said, and into that world of fearful uncertainties, Daniel has a vision. Daniel gets to see, as it were, behind the curtain. What we know he is about to see is two things: One, that there is a great cosmic battle going on all around him and that the events of his life are merely the consequences of that battle as they affect this earth. Second, he will see that it is all, however, not random. He will see that, in fact, as he has said many times, “the Most High rules in the nations of men.”

That is precisely where I think we have much to learn from listening to him and watching him. Although we don’t have visions, I believe by faith we can do a better job of seeing “behind the curtain,” of realizing there is a much larger spiritual battle going on around us, and of trusting the Lord through it all. We have our completed Scriptures to nurse on and the recognition that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).

The Lord has admonished us to “put on the whole armor of God.” I believe learning from Daniel will help us do exactly that.

And so, it begins.

 

Romans 8:26-27 “Comfort”

Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

²⁶but in the same way also the Spirit helps in our weakness, for we do not know what we should pray for as it is necessary, but the Spirit Himself intercedes on our behalf with groans unspoken, ²⁷but the One searching the heart knows what [is] the mind of the Spirit because He intercedes in accordance with God in behalf of [the] saints.

As I observed before, this is, of course, a wonderful passage of Scripture. I would guess for most of us, one of the most wonderful ideas expressed here is how the Holy Spirit “intercedes for us with groans unspoken.” The NIV translates it “with groans that words cannot express.” The ESV translates it “with groanings too deep for words.” Here we are again, dealing with the reality that, for us Christians, this world is a very painful place.

Ever since v. 17, Paul has been addressing the fact of our suffering in this world. Of course everyone, saved or lost, suffers here, but, in a way, our suffering is worse precisely because we know it shouldn’t be. We know this isn’t how God created the world and we know the day will come when it will never be again. However, we have to live in the meantime. We watch others suffer and die while we suffer and die ourselves. As we’ve read here, faith give us hope that we might endure it all and the Holy Spirit comes to help us even in something so seemingly simple as our prayers.

But here we see us at “rock bottom.” Isaiah’s description is fitting: “Lord, they came to you in their distress ,,, they could barely whisper a prayer. As a woman with child and about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in Your presence, O Lord” (26:16,17). Anyone who has been a Christian for any length of time at all knows what it is to be at a place where all we can do is sit in God’s presence and groan – at least in our hearts. I love what Alexander Mackennal said (ca. 1870):

“We have all been conscious of a deep feeling of something wrong in us that no words can express. We feel more than we know about the ruin of our sinfulness; we hope for a blessedness that we see not and cannot utter ... The longing for communion with God is often unutterable … In silence we look up to Him, peaceful in His presence … The longing for submission to God is also at times unutterable … This is what the inner spirit longs for; but the longing to submit can only show itself in ‘groanings which cannot be uttered’ … knowing our ignorance, we fear that the answer to our petitions may be more a curse than a blessing. Desire is strong, but faith in the unknown will of God is stronger. We can but bow and trust ‘with groanings which cannot be uttered.’”

What a comfort it is to know that, when we honestly have no words to say, we can just sit in the Lord’s presence – whether silently or even crying our eyes out – and know the Holy Spirit is speaking for us?  I have found that true even in my praise. Sometimes I want to praise God, but I simply find no words. Once again, I can simply sit in His presence, and know the Holy Spirit is communicating to the Father perfectly the words my heart wants to say, but simply cannot express.

And along those lines, what a comfort it is as well to know that the Spirit takes our mixed up, short-sighted, sometimes foolish, sometimes downright selfish prayers and “intercedes” for us. We have Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us in heaven, while the very Holy Spirit Himself occupies the throne of our hearts and intercedes on our behalf from here! And because our intercessor is the Holy Spirit Himself, we are assured that, by the time our prayers reach the Father’s throne, they are expressed perfectly according to His will.

Prayer is often compared to incense and we should note that when incense is burned, the smoke and aromas rise to heaven, while the ashes get left behind. In our prayers, the Holy Spirit Himself is the flame and, in the same way, He leaves the ashes behind and carries the sweet aromas upward.

No matter what we do, life here on this earth is going to be painful. As we saw in v. 17, we suffer here with Jesus that we might be glorified together with Him later. In v. 23, we groan along with the rest of Creation, waiting for our adoption, the redemption of our bodies.  Unfortunately, it is a very immature view of Christianity that somehow being saved means we’ll live “happy, happy, happy all the day.” Our Bible itself would warn us there will be times we can’t even bring ourselves to utter a prayer. However, our Lord has provided this comfort to us – to know, whether from our words or from our silence, and even from our groanings – the Holy Spirit is always picking up “the other end” and making sure our prayers reach the Father as sweet aromas.

Pray on, my friends!