MESSAGE

FROM THE

WORD

GENTILE NATIONS, THE ANCIENT OF DAYS

AND A LITTLE HORN

Daniel 7:1-28

SERIES:  Daniel                                                                                                 Message # 10

            We love to contemplate the future.  Whether it is psychics, time travel, or Hollywood movies, the future fascinates us.  Each year, periodicals such as the National Enquirer have front page articles on various predictions regarding that year.  Most of them are guesses and are usually proven wrong.  There is one book that always proves to be true when predicting the future and that is the Bible.  The Bible is filled with predictions on future events.  Some of those predictions predict events way in the future.  Many of them tell about events that were to take place in the near future and could be proven either true of false in history.  One of those predictions occurs in Daniel 7.

            Daniel 7 makes a transition.  Up until this chapter the focus of the book has been the issue of integrity.  Prophecy has been given, but it is the godliness of the young men that is the focus.  Beginning with chapter 7, the focus turns to the future.  Up until this chapter, Daniel had been interpreting the dreams of others.  Beginning with this chapter, Daniel received his own dreams and received interpretations from angelic visitors. 

            The book of Daniel is compared to the New Testament book of Revelation.  Many of the predictions seen in Daniel are very similar to those found in Revelation.  There is one major difference.  The book of Revelation has as its priority an explanation of God’s future dealing with the Jews and the nation of Israel.  Daniel has as its priority an explanation of God’s dealing with the gentile world.  The Jews and Israel are mentioned, but only as they relate to the gentile world. 

            As we make our way through this chapter, we are going to see the four Gentile nations, the Ancient of Days, and a Little Horn.  This is one of the most important chapters in the Bible. 

          FIRST, WE SEE THE RISE OF THE GENTILE NATIONS.  This is a very interesting passage, because it is very similar to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream found in Daniel 2.  The difference is this; in Daniel 2, Daniel was interpreting the dream of the king.  In Daniel 7, Daniel had his own dream and needed an interpretation from God. 

            If you read verse 1, you will notice a time discrepancy.  We read    DANIEL 7:1-3            Daniel had this dream during the first year of the reign of Belshazzar.  You will remember that Belshazzar was the king when God decided to write on the wall.  Since Belshazzar died at the end of chapter 5, that means that chapter 7 took place before chapter 5.  This doesn’t make a lot of sense, other than it is the way God wanted it to be.  You will also notice that four beasts come out of “THE GREAT SEA…”  The question asked then is “who are these four beasts” and “what is the ‘Great Sea’”?  Both of these questions are fairly easy to answer.  If you look down at verse 7 we read            DANIEL 7:7             In this vision, Daniel saw the fourth beast as having ten horns.  If you go back to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter two, the fourth aspect of the giant statute had ten toes.  There are similarities in the other beasts as well.  Daniel had a dream about the four world kingdoms that were to arise.  Those four kingdoms were Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.  Out of the Roman Kingdom, another kingdom would arise which would be around when the Kingdom of God took over.  This is the exact picture we saw with Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter 2.

            There are two possible explanations for Daniel’s reference to “THE GREAT SEA”.  It could refer to the Mediterranean Sea.  That is, that the nations mentioned will all come out of the Mediterranean Sea area.  It could also just be a reference to humanity.  We often talk about a gigantic crowd of people as a “Sea of humanity…”  In any case, both of these explanations fit into Daniel’s dream.  All four of these nations are literal, historical nations.  All four are in the Mediterranean Sea area.  You might wonder how I came to the conclusion that this dream involves four kings and not something else.  How do you know if I’m not just making it up?  There is a very simple explanation.  We read,         VERSES 15-17              Daniel asked an angelic host for insight and was given the interpretation to his dream.  When we read a verse, there may be room for personal interpretation.  However, when God gives the interpretation, the question is settled.  God tells us that the four beasts are four kings.

            Let’s revue who these four nations are.  The first was Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar.  There is a distinction in the visions of Daniel 2 & 7.  In chapter 2, the king was still alive and Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar how he would affect the world.  In chapter 7, that king had died and the Babylonian empire was about to crash.  If you want more information, simply refer back to our message on that chapter.

            The second beast is the Medo-Persian Empire, which came in and took over Babylon in a single night.  This is recorded for us in chapter 5.  This is pictured as a bear with three ribs in its mouth.  We cannot be dogmatic on this, but in coming to power, the Medo-Persia Empire took over the kingdoms of Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt.  We will see more of this kingdom as we study chapter 8.

            The third kingdom is Greece under Alexander the Great.  He is pictured as a leopard, which is the fastest land animal in the world.  In some cases, the leopard can outrun an automobile.  Not only does this beast run fast, it also has wings.  This animal really flies.  When Alexander the Great took over Greece, He conquered the world in an incredibly quick amount of time.  We are also going to look at this beast in our study of chapter 8.  Let me just whet your appetite a little.  You will notice in verse 6 that this beast also has four heads.  Throughout the book of Daniel we have seen that heads represent kings.  Out of Alexander’s Kingdom would come four kings.  It was customary for a king to leave his kingdom to his son.  However, Alexander had a very weak son, so he divided his kingdom between his top generals.  By coincidence, he just happened to have four top generals.

            The fourth kingdom is Rome.  This is the heart of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter 2.  In Daniel’s vision, Rome is all but ignored.  What Daniel wanted to know was the interpretation of the ten horns that would come out of the Roman Empire and especially the little horn that would come up out of the ten other horns after their alliance had been established.  We will look at this in just a little bit. 

            SECOND, WE SEE THE LITTLE HORN.  Next to Jesus and the Apostles, this individual may have more books written about him than any other individual in the scriptures.  There is an entire division of Bible study dedicated to him and all the issues surrounding him.  The field of study is called Eschatology and simply means, “The study of end times”.  In this passage, he is called “The little horn”.  In Daniel 9 he is called “The prince who is to come”.  In Revelation he is referred to as “The Beast”.  He is most often simply called the “anti-Christ”.  Thousands of books have been written about him, seeking to reveal who he is.  At the end of this message you will know everything you need to know about his identity.  Daniel gives us seven specific identifying marks about this individual.

            First, he comes out of Western Europe.  This is all we know about his ethnicity.  Many authors go way overboard by adding details that aren’t in the Bible.  In fact, what we don’t know is far more than what we do know.  All we know about this individual is that he comes out of the fourth beast, which is the Roman Empire.  This is the primary reason some believe he could be the pope.  The main problem with that interpretation is that this individual is clearly anti-religion.  I do not believe that to be a correct view.

            Some commentators have stated their belief that this individual is Jewish.  We will see in chapter 8 that this individual is a descendent of Alexander the Great and he takes on the Jews.  He is then in the linage of Greece and Rome, which seems to imply that he is a gentile.

            This issue points out a very important aspect of the Christian experience.  The only truth we can be sure to be absolutely accurate is what is revealed in the Bible.  Everything else is speculation and guesses.  It may be informed speculation, but it is speculation never the less.  I meet people all the time who believe some aspect of the eschatology because they read it in Left Behind, or heard some preacher say it was true.  Novels and sermons are often helpful, but they are not divinely inspired.

            Second, his rise to power is slow.  He is not one of the leaders of this 10 nation alliance.  We are not told who or what this alliance represents, but it is in the line of the old Roman Empire.  If this alliance exists in part or whole today, the European Union would be a possibility.  Verse 8 tells us that this ten nation alliance exists and out of it comes this “Little Horn”.  Verse 24 is an explanation of verse 8.  The angel states,         Daniel 7:24     In other words, he will not be a power broker when this ten nation alliance comes to power.  When this organization is formed, he is an unknown.  Some event occurs, and he removes “…three of the first horns…”  The simplest explanation is that this individual is in a position of influence such as Vice-president, chief of staff, secretary of state or defense, or a military leader and he simply eliminates three “Kings” and takes over their kingdoms.  Remember, he is in the background, he is not the king.

            Third, he is a media master.  We live in an age of communication.  Many who love President Bush wish he could communicate his ideas better.  Others were amazed at how well President Clinton was able to sidestep issues that would have destroyed the careers of other politicians.  This individual will have the ability to move the hearts and minds of millions of people.  Adolph Hitler is a good pattern to look at.  We ask how he could have come to power.  By looking at the news reels of the 1930’s, it is easy to understand.  He was a great manipulator of the media.  In an age of media, this individual will rise like a star.

            Fourth, he will take on the saints.  This is a controversial issue, so let me address it here.  Daniel is not referring to the church.  The church is not around at this point.  The reference for us is Daniel 9 and this “Little Horn” makes a pact with the Jews and then seeks to exterminate them.  A similar passage is found in Revelation 13.  We read               Revelation 13:5-7          Don’t those sound like the exact same characteristics as we saw in Daniel 7?  That’s because they are.  Here is why this is not the church.  In Matthew 16, Jesus predicted the formation of the church and stated, “The gates of Hell would not be able to stand against it…”  Whoever these saints are, they are defeated by this anti-Christ.  I believe this takes place after the rapture, the church is in Heaven with the Lord and these “saints” are those who come to Christ during this terrible period known as the “Great Tribulation”.  Many of these will be Jewish converts who seek their Messiah during this terrible ordeal.

            Fifth, he will blaspheme.  To blaspheme simply means, “To speak ill of God”.  Verse 25 tells us “He will speak out against the Most High…”  We are going to look at “The Most High…” in a moment, but let me just state that it is a reference to Jehovah.  This “Little Horn” is dominated by Satan, who is the original blasphemer.  There are many ways to blaspheme God.  Let’s look at the very first instance.  We read                  Genesis 3:1            The very first words out of Satan’s mouth were to question God’s word.  Part of studying the Bible is to look at the meaning of words to see what the text says.  However, the beginning of Bible Study is the understanding that God is right.  Jesus stated         John 17:17              God’s word is truth.  We are told                  1 Timothy 3:15                   Not only is God’s word true, the church is the protector and supporter of the truth.  It is important that we understand this idea.  God’s word is true.  The psalmist wrote                 Psalm 19:7-11       Our interpretation or our additions to God’s word may be very flawed.  We need to remember to make that distinction.  Satan and his henchmen do their greatest damage when they convince people that the Bible is not God’s word, is not accurate, or is only partially true.

            Sixth, he will rule for 3 ˝ years.  This time frame shows up in many different passages.  In Daniel 7 it is stated as “A time, times and half a time…”  Daniel 9 tells us, “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week (seven years) but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice…”  In Revelation 13 we are told, “There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him”.  42 months is 3 ˝ years.  Do you see a consistent pattern in these passages?  At the end of human history, there will be a seven year period called in the Bible, "The Great Tribulation”.  This seven year period is divided into two halves of 42 months each.  This “Little horn” works his way into a relationship with Israel, saves them from destruction, convinces them to follow him, and then seeks to annihilate the entire race.  That attempted destruction is the last half of the tribulation and is referred to in Daniel 7 as “three and a half years”.

            Seventh, God will destroy him.  We will see this next week and then again in Daniel 9.  This individual will do all he can to destroy Israel, the Jews, and the people of God.  He has one chief goal, destroy the Jews.  If he can destroy the Jews, he can prove the Bible is a book of lies.  This is why God sends all sorts of forces to save the Jews.  Throughout history, Satan has done everything possible to annihilate the Jewish people.  Hitler was just one of the many who took God on.  The Islamic world is seeking to destroy Israel today.  In the history of the church, the Crusades sought to eliminate entire Jewish communities, to its shame.  They have all failed, because God has a plan still for His people.  We will see this in the weeks to come.

            THIRD, WE SEE THE ANCIENT OF DAYS.  There is no more important subject to study than the subject of God.  The study of God is called theology.  That is a large area that incorporates everything about religion.  The study of God Himself is referred to as theology proper.  What we want to do in Daniel 7:9-14 is to understand theology proper.  Discussions can become very detailed and boring.  I can remember meeting my wife’s Uncle Harold.  He was a professor at an Ivy League school and was in Northern California to give a lecture on some archeology project he had uncovered.  He let me read his paper and I didn’t have a clue as to what he wanted me to know.  He was a professor of religion, but knew God only in a philosophical context.  Several years later we met again and he had experienced a true Biblical conversion.  His understanding of God was no longer philosophical, but experiential.  When he talked about God, it was no longer philosophical, but relational.  So much of the “God talk” today is about nothing more than lots of jargon.  God wants us to know Him in an intimate way.  This is why the Lord’s Prayer begins, “Our Father…”  It is also important for us to understand that God wants us to know Him as the sovereign of the universe, but also as an intimate father.  God wants to be intimate, but He also wants us to know He is God and not just a buddy.  We read          Daniel 7:9-14; 26, 27              The term used to describe God in this passage is “The Ancient of Days”.  This is a fancy way for God to say that He is the owner of eternity.  There are some theological terms that would be beneficial for us to understand at this point.

            “Omnipotent” means God is all powerful.  God is only limited by how He limits Himself.  For instance, because He is a holy God, the Bible tells us that He cannot lie.  Because He has designed a means to reconcile the world to Himself, He cannot save anyone who chooses to come their own way.  Because He sent Jesus to die on the cross to forgive sin, He can’t save those who refuse Him.

            “Omnipresent” means God is everywhere all the time.  He is not limited by time or space.  There is no place anywhere that God is not present.

            “Omniscience” means God knows everything.  He is not like a computer in the sense that He is programmed with all knowledge.  He simply knows everything, because He created all information.  He knows what would happen if we made a different decision.  In other words, God never learns anything new.  He is never surprised by anything that takes place.  When Newton discovered the law of gravity, he only saw what was already there.  DNA and genetic codes have been around since the Garden of Eden.  We are only discovering what God has always known.

            “Holy” means he is separated from all that is evil.  He is the standard by which good and evil are judged.  In a world of evil, this is difficult, because we ask the question, “Why does God allow evil to occur?  In a very real sense, that question is answered in our passage today.

            “Loving” means that everything God does is for the best of those involved.  This can be difficult for us to comprehend sometimes because of all the evil done in our world.  We need to remember that we live in a fallen world.  God has limited Himself because He gave humans a free will.  With these terms in mind, let’s look at our passage.

            First, we see the throne.  There have been many symbols in this book that are representative of royalty.  There is nothing that represents a king more than does His throne.  We read      Verse 9a         I’ve only testified in court one time.  It is just like you see on television.  The bailiff orders all of those in the court room to rise and introduces the judge.  The judge enters from his chambers, walks into the courtroom, sits down in his seat and announces that everyone can sit down.  That is the picture.  The judge has entered the courthouse.  Here is the distinction.  The courthouse is the universe and the judge has chosen to enter into the rebellion of the ages.  The beast has been misinformed that this judge is impotent.  He has mistaken God’s patience for weakness.  The full fury of the judge and the ultimate law of the universe is about to be unleashed.

            Did you notice how Daniel described the ”Ancient of Days”?  We read     verse 9b        This is not some boy king who does not know how to deal with his authority.  This is a mature, fire-breathing dragon ready to administer final justice on the one who has pushed to far. 

            Second, we see the throng.  Ten years ago my wife and I and a friend went out to dinner to celebrate my birthday.  When we returned home, we turned on the television to discover that Princess Diana had been in an automobile accident in Paris and had been killed.  The shock waves this created in Great Britain and around the world nearly brought down the monarchy.  Soon, the flowers began to show up.  A few turned into dozens, which turned into hundreds and then thousands.  By the time the funeral was held there were hundreds of thousands of flowers in front of Buckingham Palace.  You will remember the procession as the casket was draped and led by Charles, William, Harry, and Phillip.  Millions of people lined the streets and not a sound could be heard as the people mourned their princess.

            What a contrast that was to July 29, 1981 when 600,000 people lined the streets of London and 750 million people watched on television as Charles and Diana pledged their eternal love to each other.  Diana’s wedding dress had a 25 foot train and was adorned by 10,000 pearls and sequins.  Royalty is a part of the human condition, but it is filled with frailty and corruption.  As Daniel sees his vision, the sovereign of the universe walked in to sit on His throne and He has no blemishes.  We then see what exactly took place.  Daniel wrote,       Verse 10          A myriad is the largest number available in Hebrew and represents 10,000.  In other words, when Daniel writes that there were “myriads upon myriads…” it would be similar to Carl Sagan’s statement on his PBS show “NOVA” that there are “Billions and Billions of stars”.  When God enters to judge, the entire Heavenly host rises to give Him honor.

            Third, we see the trial.  Our nation has seen many famous trials.  The “Scopes trial”, “Lindberg Kidnapping Trial”, “Rodney King Trial”, “Miranda Trial”, and “O.J. Simpson Trial” have all had an impact on our legal system.  There is one trial that will not be decided by trickery, legal maneuvers, or tainted evidence.  We read                     Verses 10c, 11, 26                   This specific trial is for the one known as the “anti-Christ”.  However, this trial involves every worker of evil in the history of the human race.  The trial begins with witnesses being called.

            The first witness is the books being opened.  We don’t know what specifically the books are, but the Bible does tell us that we will be judged on every word and every deed we have ever done.  A confident guess would be that the books are an accounting of our life.  God is bringing the anti-Christ to judgment.  His evidence?  He simply opens the books and shows the evil words said about God and his evil actions performed against the nations, especially the nation of Israel.  God hates all evil, but He has a special place for those who do evil to Israel.

            You might wonder who the witnesses will be.  As we have seen, one witness will be the eternal records kept by a Heavenly recorder with precise and pinpoint accuracy.  It is hard to comprehend that every word, deed, and thought have been recorded by God, but they have been.

            There is a second witness.  We read            Revelation 6:9-11               Throughout history, the people of God have stood for Him and many have paid for that faithfulness with their lives.  Their question, “How long…” has finally been answered.  I do not fully grasp the significance of that last phrase.  There will come a day when the last martyr has been slain and God will, with Popeye say, “That’s all I can stands, cause I can’t stands no more”.  With that, evil will be judged.  Many have asked why God allows evil in the world.  An even harder question is why God allows evil to be done to His people.  The reasons are His, but we do know this; that which we suffer for, we become more intimate with.  It is one of the strange truths of life.  It is one of the reasons Jesus died on the cross.  It demonstrated His love for those who rejected Him.  It is one of the reasons God allows us to suffer for Him.  It gives us the opportunity to bond with His afflictions.

            Fourth, we see the triumph.  If you can grasp this, your life will change.  This passage is one of the most important in the Bible.  As Daniel saw this vision unfold and Jehovah bring judgment on the anti-Christ, he saw someone else enter the picture.  We read                Daniel 7:13, 14              Who might this be?  He is given the title, “Son of Man”.  This concept of sonship is a little difficult for us to grasp, but it was quite easy for the Hebrew to grab hold of it.  The concept of the “SON” had to do with the inheritance.  The Son received the inheritance.  The “son of Man” was to receive all of the inheritance that was due to mankind.  I want to see this individual in three relationships.

            First, we see His relationship with the Ancient of Days.  The Ancient of Days is Jehovah.  There is no one who outranks Him.  We read         Isaiah 44:6; 45:5, 21-23; 46:9 10; 48:12-16            Are you a little confused?  God shares His glory with no one, there are no other gods, and yet one stands in His place as His equal.  How can this be?  This is why Christians believe in the Trinity.  There is one God, yet He has separate identities.  I do not understand this, but it is what Daniel sees in his vision.

            As Daniel watched this scene, the “Son of Man” came into the presence of the Ancient of Days and was given equal dominion and glory.  He did not bow down, but was given equal footing as the Ancient of Days.  The Psalmist wrote                   Psalm 110:1              Jehovah is speaking, yet David refers to another who is his “Lord”.  How can this be?  It can only be that He is equal to Jehovah.

            Second, we see His relationship with the universe.  We read             Verse 14             This is known in theological circles as the “Messianic Kingdom”.  Let’s see how it comes to be.  The Apostle John wrote about it in the book of Revelation.  We read      Revelation 19:11-21                      One of the reasons, maybe the first reason that Jews had and have today a problem with Jesus being the Messiah is because their expectation was of a warrior Messiah.  The idea of a suffering servant who would fulfill Isaiah 53 and die for the sins of the people was hard to receive.  The Jews understood the concept of the sacrificial lamb; every year at Passover they went through the story.  However, a Messiah who would become that sacrificial lamb was hard to accept.  It is the major stumbling block to Jews coming to Christ today. 

            The second coming of Jesus is the picture true Jews have of the Messiah.  When Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom, the universe will bow down.  We read       Philippians 2   How will the universe respond to the second coming of Christ.  Many will fight against Him and be destroyed.  The rest will bow their knees and spend eternity with Him in the presence of “The Ancient of Days”.

            Third, we see Him in relationship to the beast.  We read                Verses 26, 27 The war which began in the Garden of Eden, now comes to an end.  We are currently in the midst of a conflict in Iraq.  Many want us to leave.  Others are willing to stay as long as we can give them a date for victory.  A military victory can never be decided by choosing a date.  Victories come about by one of two actions being taken.  One action is the surrender of one side.  We saw this at the end of World War II as Japan signed papers to end the war.  A second action is for one side to destroy the other.  The war is over when one side no longer fights.  Both of these actions are evident in this situation.  Philippians 2 tells us of those who throughout history have surrendered their will to Christ and bowed down to Him.  Revelation 19 tells us of those who refuse to bow and choose to fight.  It will not be a pretty fight.  Every rebellious heart will be dealt with.

            This “Son of Man” is the second person of the Trinity.  Some have difficulty with this.  Jesus knew this would be the case.  However, He wanted everyone to know this is exactly who He was.  For this reason, He forced His view into His final days.  We read                      Luke 22:66-71              What was Jesus thinking?  Didn’t He know that saying He was the one who was to sit at the right hand of God fulfilling Psalm 110 and that He was the “Son of Man” fulfilling Daniel 7 would get Him into trouble?  He knew it exactly, which is why He said it.  He said it because it was true and He was forcing the religious leaders to accept Him as the true Messiah or reject Him.  Tragically, they rejected Him.

            This same offer is being made to every human today.  Many want to receive Jesus as the “Peace Candidate”, the “Hippie”, the “anti-authoritarian”, the “Lover of the Poor”, the “Religious right candidate”.  Jesus is none of those.  He is the “Son of Man” who will judge the world.

            Throughout His ministry, Jesus sought to draw a line in the sand.  This is why He asked Peter, “Who do men say that I am”?  He was not seeking to be the “Popular Jesus”, the “Loving Jesus”, or the “Judge those sinners Jesus”.  He could be content with nothing else but “You are the Christ, the son of the living God”.  This was the question He asked the apostles.  It is the question He asked the Jewish leaders.  It is the question He has asked millions to answer throughout the centuries.  It is the question He asks us today.  Only one answer is correct.  This is not a fill-in-the-blanks and no answer is wrong question.  This is a “God has spoken and has given us the answer” question.  The answer is pretty simple to know, it is much harder to apply.  Daniel stated            Daniel 7:13, 14               Who is this “”Son of Man”?  He is someone who comes into the presence of the God of the universe and with whom God shares His glory.  He has to be God.  This is why we believe Jesus is God and by extension, why we believe the trinity is Biblical.  To Jews, this is blasphemy.  If the trinity is not accurate, it is blasphemy.  Let me close with the most important verse in the Old Testament.  It is called the “Shammah” and is quoted in every synagogue on every Sabbath in the world.  We read            Deuteronomy 6:4                        The word for “One” is in the plural form.  It is the same form as when God told Adam and Eve that they were to become “One flesh”.  There are two individuals, but a singular relationship.  Jesus is God in the flesh and the Ancient of Days calls out to the universe to bow before the son.

This message is from the teaching ministry of Glen Jackson, pastor of Faith Christian Church in Simi Valley, CA.