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Thy Kingdom Come – Part 1

Daniel 7:1-14 • April 19, 2017 • w1183

Pastor John Miller continues our survey through the Book of Daniel with a message through Daniel 7:1-14 titled, “Thy Kingdom Come.”

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Pastor John Miller

April 19, 2017

Sermon Scripture Reference

The title of this study tonight is: Thy Kingdom Come. It starts in Daniel 7:1. “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.” Let’s stop right there for a minute. Notice that Daniel gives the date and setting for this prophecy or vision beginning in verse 1. It was “in the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon,” which indicates that as far as the chronology is concerned, chapter 7 goes back to just after chapter 4. Daniel is not in chronological order. Remember chapter 5 was the last year of Belshazzar’s reign when he had the big feast and was overthrown and destroyed. Actually, chronologically, chapter 7 would be brought forward and would appear between chapters 4 and 5. It would be about 553 B.C. or about 14 years before the fifth chapter. Remember Belshazzar was co-regent with his father Nabonidus (who had gone off to Arabia), and Belshazzar became the king over the city of Babylon.

It was in the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon that Daniel had a dream. Now, Daniel is a senior saint of God. He’s up in age, and now the interesting thing is Daniel has a dream and visions. Up to this point Daniel had interpreted the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar, but now, in contrast, God gives Daniel his own dreams. In the book of Daniel we have not yet encountered Daniel having his own visions and dreams.

First we had Daniel interpreting the dreams of this Gentile pagan king, and now Daniel is getting the visions and dreams all on his own. He says that these visions and dreams came to him upon his bed. Notice at the end of verse 1 it says, “…he wrote…the sum of the matters.” Some feel that what we have recorded in chapter 7 is a summary of the dream that God gave to Daniel. It probably had more detail in it and he felt like it was better for him to just summarize what he got, but what he wrote there under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is definitely what God wanted included in His Word.

A repeated word you’ll see is there in verse 2. Daniel says, “I saw.” “Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision…,” so you’ll hear about nine times he uses the phrase “I saw” or “I beheld.” He actually saw this vision that God gave to him. “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.” Again, I need to lay the groundwork before we go into these different beasts in these visions.

First of all, “…the four winds strove upon the great sea.” We can’t be absolutely sure what these four winds are. We don’t know if it’s the Spirit of God or if it’s a reference to God stirring nations by allowing them to just raise up these other nations. The Scriptures are clear that God is sovereign, God sits on the throne, and one of the overarching lessons that we are going to learn in this chapter, (because you might read this chapter scratch your head and say, “Wow, why did I even come tonight,” or “What’s that got to do with me?”) we’re going to see an overarching lesson that God sovereignly rules in the world and that history is His story. God raises up kings, and takes down kings; what God has spoken cannot be broken, God’s promises will be fulfilled, and there is a kingdom coming. We’re going to actually see the kingdoms of men (Gentile kingdoms), we’re going to see satan’s kingdom, and then we are going to see God’s kingdom. All these kingdoms are listed here for us, but the God of the heavens is the One in control.

Daniel mentions the great sea. What is that in reference to? It is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea. In the Bible when you find that phrase “the great sea” it’s a reference to the Mediterranean Sea. If you get a map, you’ll see the west coast of Israel borders the Mediterranean Sea—that’s the reference. There’s actually only about four seas mentioned in the Bible. There is the Sea of Galilee, which is actually a lake; there is the Dead Sea, which is a salt deposit of water down in the Jordan Valley, the south end; there is the Red Sea, which the children of Israel crossed in the Exodus; and there is the “great sea,” which is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea. This is a significant point in the Bible. In Revelation 17:15, you find that the sea is also used symbolic of the nations of man or the Gentile nations of man. That’s a reference to the sea. Some feel that even though the “great sea” is a draw from the Mediterranean Sea, it is also a reference to the Gentile nations.

These “four great beasts (verse 3) came up from the sea, diverse one from another.” It is in the context speaking symbolically about the sea, even though the “great sea” is a reference to the Mediterranean. It is talking about the sea of humanity or the sea of the Gentile nation. What we are going to have here (listen carefully) is the list of what is called by teachers or students of prophecy the “times of the Gentiles.” That’s an important phrase. By that we mean the Gentile world-ruling powers beginning with Babylon and coming all the way down to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In our passage tonight, it goes into the Kingdom Age of the Millennial reign of Christ. You say, “Well, Pastor John, didn’t we already cover this several weeks ago in Daniel 2?” I’m glad you asked that question. The answer is yes. What we are going to read about tonight is a repeat of what we saw in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision in chapter 2.

There are some interesting things in contrast. People sometimes say, “Well, why is it repeated here?” It’s repeated, but there are some differences. There are similarities but there are differences. Remember that Nebuchadnezzar had this dream and saw this great big statue. (Now, I haven’t seen it. I called Aaron this afternoon and had him put up on the screen…I have no idea what it’s going to look like, but I want you to see this image on the screen. Again, we have this dude in a miniskirt up here.) If you look at this graphic, in the first column of the statue is Daniel 2. It’s kind of hidden at the top of the screen. On the right side of the screen we have Daniel 7. They are both conveying the same thing, and I wanted you to see that. We’re going to break it down and look at it.

When we looked at Nebuchadnezzar’s vision in Daniel 2, he saw the “times of the Gentiles” or the kingdoms of the Gentile world-ruling power from the head of gold represented by himself, Babylon, to the breast and arms of silver, the Medo-Persian Empire, the thighs of brass, Greece, the legs of iron, which represented Rome, and the feet and toes of iron and clay which represented in the last days before the Second Coming a revived Roman Empire. We’re assuming ten toes of iron and clay, and the stone cut without hands at the bottom of that image is a reference to Jesus Christ. It’s a reference to His Second Coming. In that image it strikes the statue and the kingdoms of man are dissolved or destroyed. They come to an end, and it grows into an everlasting kingdom. So, the stone fills the whole earth, and, again, the image kind of runs off the screen for us there, but basically it starts with Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and then onto the future when Christ will come again, He will establish His kingdom, and He puts an end to the kingdoms of men. This is the historical prophecy that has completely been fulfilled.

When you get to Daniel 7 especially, this is where the critics really attack the book of Daniel. They say, “It couldn’t have been written by Daniel. It had to be written much later during the Intertestamental Period by some Maccabean Jew that wrote and said it was Daniel. He made it look like prophecy, but it really wasn’t prophecy.” That’s because prophecy in the Bible (which, by the way, is the only “religious book” that ventures into prophecy—the Koran doesn’t do that and other books don’t do that) is one-hundred percent accurate in the things that it spoke of.

God who knows the beginning from the end has prophesied this—that these would be the kingdoms of man, these world-ruling empires, but now they are going to be showing up as beasts. (Let’s throw the image back up there again, if you can.) What we’re going to see is that the head of gold is now a lion, the breast and arms of silver is now a bear (Medo-Persia), Greece is now a leopard with four heads (these crazy-looking animals), and then we’re going to see that Rome is likened unto just this crazy beast. I didn’t draw this, so don’t freak out. You’re thinking, “Who drew this thing?” Then, this side of the prophecy, Daniel 7, Rome is going to have ten horns, and one of the horns is going to have eyes and a mouth. This is going to reference the anti-christ, and we’re going to talk about that tonight. Then, Jesus comes back in judgment and His kingdom is established for 1,000 years. We’re going to fit all these pieces of the puzzle together, but I wanted you to get a little visual before we looked at it in the text. They parallel each other. (You can take the image down. I might call for it again.)

Here is something you need to remember. Why the two parallel accounts? In Daniel 2, we have Nebuchadnezzar, an ungodly natural, heathen king looking at the kingdoms of man from his perspective. What did he see? He saw a beautiful statue with the head of gold and these beautiful metals. He saw it in its splendor and majesty. That’s really humanism in their view of the world—that man kind of is his own god and the answer to his own problems. It’s man’s view of the kingdoms of man—how we deify and glorify man. Then, in Daniel 7, tonight (and you saw those freaky-looking animals on the screen) guess whose view this is of the kingdoms of man? This is God’s. This is how God looks at the kingdoms of man, the governments of man. He sees them as wild beasts—ferocious beasts living by their animal instincts, savagery, and power. You have two perspectives—man’s view and God’s view. You say, “Don’t both of the visions come from God?” Yes they do, but one has the humanistic emphasis and the other has God’s view.

Do you know the Bible says that God sees not as men see, right? Men look on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart. We look at the kingdoms of men and say, “Oooo, ahhhhh. Isn’t it awesome! Look at their wealth. Look at their power. Look at their majesty.” God says, “They’re just a bunch of wild animals. They’re just a bunch of wild beasts.” So, we have the Gentile nations from God’s perspective and God’s view.

Here we start verse 4. “The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.” I won’t spend too much time on each one of these, but the interpretation isn’t really given until you start verse 15. Verses 1-14 is the vision, and verses 15-28 is the interpretation of the vision. This lion represents Babylon. Anyone who has done any research into Babylon or if you’ve had any Bible dictionary or encyclopedia and you’ve seen artifacts from Ancient Babylon, you’ll see on the gates their insignia and embossed on so many things a lion with wings. That’s the symbol of Babylon, and that’s the symbol that God gave here. It’s this great lion that had wings. The lion indicates its strength, power, voracity, and its ferociousness. The wings speak of its rapidity or being fast. The imagery of this lion which had eagle’s wings is the king of the beasts and the king of the birds of prey.

Then, it says that this lion had its wings plucked “… and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon the feet as a man.” Most scholars believe, and I think it’s a good guess, that this is a reference to Nebuchadnezzar when he was broken, humbled, and his heart and attitude were changed. Remember he became a wild beast? It’s interesting. Nebuchadnezzar was a man who had a heart of an animal placed in him. Here we have a lion who has the heart of a man placed in him but he’s made to stand on his feet, and it says that a man’s heart was given unto him.

There is the second beast in verse 5. “And behold another beast,” there are four of them, “a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.” We go from a lion with wings representing Babylon, which was that first world-ruling empire, (by the way, these are world-ruling empires, and from the time of Rome there has not been another one) this one is represented by a bear. A bear speaks of just brute strength.

You know, when I see images of big, powerful grizzly bears it blows my mind! The closest I’ve ever been, of course, is a polar bear at the zoo and for that I thank God. I wouldn’t want to run into a real bear. I’ve been to Montana at the time of year where bears are very dangerous. I hear crazy bear stories, so I don’t go hiking. I don’t go out into the woods. I stay in my car. I don’t go anywhere that I’m going to encounter a real bear. They have big grizzly bears there. As you think of a bear, you think of just brute strength and certainly that is what is conveyed when we think of Medo-Persia, these two kingdoms that merged together, Media and Persia. We know that they were the ones that overtook the Babylonian Empire, and we read about it in Daniel 5.

It says that it was raised up on its left side. Why? Because of the two aspects of this kingdom, Media and Persia. The Persian Empire came to the forefront. The Persian Empire became stronger than the Median Empire, and that’s what is believed to be indicated by “it was raised up on one side.” The Median Empire was weakened, and the Persian Empire became the dominant aspect of that empire. “…and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it.” That indicates that it has already devoured these other nations that are around it. Some believe that it’s a reference to Babylon, Egypt, and Libya, or it could just be a reference to the fact that Medo-Persia destroyed Babylon and has taken over. Then he is told to arise and devour much flesh. We have Babylon. Now, we have the Medo-Persian Empire, and then in verse 6 we have the Grecian Empire, which took place and took over after the Medo-Persian Empire. These empires, other than the Roman Empire, only lasted a few years.

Verse 6 says, “After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.” You have the strength and voracity of a lion with eagle’s wings for rapidity, then you have the brute strength of the bear, and now you have the quickness of a leopard. The feature of the leopard isn’t as ferocious as a lion or as strong as a bear, but it’s fast and quick. Greece is famous for the fact that under the leadership of Alexander the Great, his armies were able to move very swiftly and were able to conquer the entire world. So, under Alexander the Great, the Grecian Empire with rapidity took over the entire world.

What are the four heads of this leopard? You have this four-headed leopard with four wings. Alexander the Great died at an early age, and the Grecian Empire was divided into four other separate kingdoms which were actually given to his four generals. After he died, these four generals were given these four categories which included Syria, Egypt, Macedonia, and Asia Minor after Alexander died. It’s believed that these four heads represented these four generals. You can see why the critics of the Bible attack this and say, “This is just too specific. It couldn’t have been written before,” but they don’t believe in the supernatural. They don’t believe that there’s a God who can speak of things before it happens.

The focus of these four beasts is on the fourth beast as it’s developed more when we get the interpretation. Verse 7, “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible,” the fourth beast isn’t called a lion, a bear, or a leopard, it’s just called dreadful and terrible. That’s why the artist evidently in the graphic just made it look like a freaked-out animal because he’s not described by anything. It’s just ferocious. “…and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it,” this is what is called the iron heel of Rome, their power in which they took over, “and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it,” but the Bible says that this ferocious, terrible beast had actually ten horns. You might write down Revelation 13:1-8. We might take a minute and turn there in just a few moments, but this coincides with what John saw in the book of Revelation. The features of these beasts—this lion, bear, and leopard—are all featured in this revived Roman Empire of the last days just before Jesus Christ will return. This also coincides with Daniel 2, the legs of iron, which is the Roman Empire that had the two branches. The feet and toes in Daniel 2 were made of iron and clay.

Just a little footnote here. Again, I’m sure that some of you are listening to this thinking, “I can’t believe what we’re talking about! Not only can I not believe what we’re talking about, I don’t even know…I don’t know what we’re talking about!” Just spend the night listening then, even though you may not be able to comprehend it. Between verses 7 and 8 there is a gap. You don’t see it in your Bible. I believe there is a gap. There are some who will argue with me that there is no gap, but I believe there is a gap. That gap is what we call the Church Age—we’re living in it right now. So, where are we in this prophecy? Look real close here in the white space between verses 7 and 8. I could go on to talk sometime about the Church Age and this dispensation of grace, but it wasn’t mentioned or seen by Daniel. It’s missed. It’s skipped over. If you don’t understand that, your understanding of prophecy is going to get mixed up and confused. Daniel wasn’t seeing the church. He wasn’t seeing the Gentiles believing in Jesus and being part of the church. For Daniel, it’s all Gentile nations and the nation of Israel.

There are three groups you need to keep distinct and separate and in their own categories prophetically in the Bible—the Gentile nations, the Jewish nation of Israel, and the church. You need to be careful that you don’t mix them together or confuse them. There are those today that say that God is finished with Israel, the church is now spiritual Israel, and the promises made to Israel yet future to be fulfilled are spiritually fulfilled in the church. I think that’s a mistake that we should not make. We need to keep these categories separate—Gentile nations (the times of the Gentiles), God’s purpose and plan for Israel (the Jewish people), and God’s plan, purpose, and program for the church. We need to keep them all in their separate categories. The Second Coming would be taking place soon after verse 8, and we’re going to see that in our text. This goes beyond Daniel 2.

Now, I want you to see verse 8. “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another…,” don’t miss this “…little horn.” You go home tonight, “What’d the pastor talk about?” “Beasts, wild animals and horns.” Because this little horn is the individual that we most commonly hear of and refer to as the anti-christ. How many of you have heard of the anti-christ? You’ve heard of the anti-christ, right? You’ve heard of the mark of the beast, 666, and all that stuff. Well, this is tied in with this “little horn.” The Bible doesn’t actually refer to him as the “anti-christ.” The Bible refers to the spirit of anti-christ, but what it refers to him first of all here is a little horn. It’s a little horn that has eyes and a big mouth. I call him Mr. Big Mouth. In Revelation 13, it actually says that he has a mouth speaking great things, blaspheming against God, and he attacks the saints of God.

Daniel is still looking at this fourth beast. This fourth beast in verse 7 is Rome, the Roman Empire. What he’s talking about is a revived Roman Empire. Remember in the vision of Nebuchadnezzar the legs were Rome, and the legs came down to the feet. The legs were iron, but the feet were iron and clay. So, feet of iron and clay and these ten horns coincide—they’re the same kingdoms. They’re a revived Roman Empire that will exist just before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in the latter times.

Again, “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn,” ten horns and a little horn, “before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots,” the little horn sprung up and three of these ten horns were plucked up by the roots and destroyed, “and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.” That is so important to catch. You’ll see that in Revelation 13:5. This is a reference to none other than the anti-christ who will come on the scene in the last days.

I want you to hold your place here in Daniel 7. We’re going to come right back to it, but turn with me to Revelation 13. You’re going to see how amazing the vision is as it ties in with what John saw on the island of Patmos about 90 A.D. In Revelation 13 John says, “I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,” we just read in Daniel 7 that these nations came up out of the sea. He sees this beast. This beast in Revelation 13:1 is the little horn. In Daniel 7, he is the little horn; in Revelation 13 he is described as a beast and rises up out of the sea. “having seven heads and ten horns…,” Rome is the city of seven heads and is believed that the capital and the base for this man of sin, this anti-christ, will be the Roman Empire. “…and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” I want you to note Revelation 13:2. “And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” Interesting that you have the same animals mentioned here—leopard, bear, and lion. They are all included in this last-day revived Roman Empire called this “beast.” The elements of both the Grecian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, and the lion representing Babylon are all going to be included in this revived Roman Empire. Notice that they come in a different order here in verse 2 than they do in Daniel 7 because Daniel was looking forward at them and John was looking backwards at them—that’s why they come in a different order. He’s talking about this revived Roman Empire that had these same elements of the Grecian, Medo-Persian, and Babylonian Empires.

The dragon (verse 2) is a reference to satan, and satan gives unto the anti-christ, this beast, his power, seat, and great authority. He’s going to be a man who satan invests his power and great authority in. I want you to notice what happens when the anti-christ comes on the scene. We’re going to get back to Daniel 7, but notice verse 3. There is going to be wonder. “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” He’s going to cast a spell on the whole world and they’re going to wonder after him. In verse 4, there’s going to be worship. “And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast,” the anti-christ, “and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?”

Thirdly, there is going to be words. This will coincide with what we just read in Daniel 7:8. I want you to notice Revelation 13:5. “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months,” or three-and-a-half years. This is the last half of the seven years of tribulation. Notice what he does. “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.” There is wonder, secondly worship, then there are words—he’s got a mouth speaking great things. He has this great oratory ability and casts a spell on people with his speeches, but he attacks and blasphemes God.

Fourthly, (verse 7) there is war. “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,” these saints are not the church. They are people who turn to the Lord in the time of the tribulation. They are what you can call “tribulation saints.” Don’t get them confused with the church because I believe the church has been raptured and caught up to be with the Lord in the air. Jews were called saints, and believers in the tribulation are called saints. It doesn’t mean it’s a reference to the church, the New Testament believers, who are here for the tribulation. He is going to persecute those who believe in God. He is going to persecute the saints, “…and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

In your leisure time, when you get time, keep a note of Revelation 13. Go back and continue to read and make note of how it coincides with Daniel 7. Turn back with me to Daniel 7. (Don’t freak out. We’re not going to get through this chapter tonight. We’ll take more time to go into it’s interpretation next week. I wanted to cover it all but we won’t.) Notice beginning in verse 9. This is a description of God who comes to judge the Gentile world powers. God is coming back to judge. God is going to come back and set up His kingdom. There’s hope. “I beheld till the thrones were cast down,” in other words, all the kingdoms of men will come to naught.

There’s a lot of talk today in the news about North Korea; just today, a lot of talk about Iran. It seems as though the present administrations are getting a little tougher on Iran, and they want to get a little tougher on North Korea. They’ve already flexed their muscle in Syria in what’s going on and back by the Russians. Things are heating up in the middle east today. Do you know that geographically, believe it or not, Israel is right in the center of the whole universe? It’s right in the center of the whole planet. If you take the globe and flatten it out and look at the map of the world, right dead-center is the land of Israel. God has a purpose and a plan. It’s not a mistake that Israel’s back in their land. God is going to take the church out in the rapture but for seven years is going to deal with the nation of Israel. He is going to pour out His wrath upon this world, but He is going to come back at the end (Revelation 19) in judgment.

I want you to notice, “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain,” this was the anti-christ that’s going to be slain, “and his body destroyed,” by none other than Jesus Christ, “and given to the burning flame. 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man,” take note of that. In verse 9 we have the “Ancient of days,” and in verse 13 we have the “Son of man” “came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” That’s where the saints go, “Amen! Praise God!”

What we have in verses 9-14 is we move from the kingdoms of men, the kingdom of satan, to the kingdom of God. We have those kingdoms. We have the kingdom of men, the kingdom of satan, and the kingdom of God. God’s kingdom is going to be an everlasting kingdom. God’s kingdom is going to be a kingdom of which there shall be no end. I believe the “Ancient of days” (verse 9) is a reference to God the Father. It is the only place in the Bible, interestingly, where God the Father is described in human terms or He is described as a man. It does coincide with the description of Jesus in Revelation 1, but He is called the “Ancient of days.” Why? Because He is the eternal God.

Did you know that God is eternal? Did you know that God has always been? You say, “I can’t understand that.” Welcome to the club. You don’t have to be a brilliant scientist to figure it out. Matter can’t come from nothing. The evolutionist has one big, big, big, big problem, so they invented the big bang. I don’t know what they think caused the big bang, but they just kind of theorize that there’s always been matter and it blew up or that life…they’re trying to find life on other planets because it will support their theories that life could’ve started other environments from earth and so forth. Either you believe in some form of eternal matter or you believe in an eternal God. Sometimes they accuse us as Christians of saying, “Well, matter can’t come from nothing.” They say, “Well, you believe God came from nothing.” God didn’t come from anything. You got that? Nothing caused God—He is the cause of all things.

I know our children will say, “Who made God?” The answer is: no one made God. You say, “Well, how that be?” Because He’s God. You say, “Well, I don’t understand.” What do you expect? He is God, we’re not. He’s eternal, we’re locked in time space. He’s infinite, we’re finite. God is amazing! Just to think that you can go back as far as your mind will allow you to go and there in Genesis 1:1, I believe perhaps the greatest verse in the Bible, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” In the beginning God. Do you know that puts an end to atheism? Open the Bible to the first book, first chapter, first verse, and it destroys atheism. “In the beginning God,” there’s a God, “created the heaven and the earth.” It destroys evolution. I know there are theistic evolutionists, but I believe that the Genesis account is to be taken literally and in six days God created all things. “You mean God created this entire cosmos in six days?!” Is anything too hard for God? No. He is called here the “Ancient of days.”

All these great kingdoms of men—Babylon, Medo-Persia with all their splendor and majesty, the Grecian Empire, and then the Roman Empire are influenced by the others. It’s sometimes called the Greco-Roman Empire. The great Roman Empire lasted for over 1,000 years but came to an end. It was destroyed. Don’t think for a moment the United States could last forever. There is coming an end of the United States of America as we know it. The kingdoms of men will be nothing and God will come back. The “Ancient of days” will return. This is a reference to God coming back to judge.

You can break down all these descriptions about Him. It says His garment was as white as snow indicating that He is a holy God. He is eternal, “Ancient of days,” and He is also holy. The hair on His head were like pure wool, again, speaking of His wisdom. The throne was like a fiery flame, speaking again of His judgment, and the wheels burning with fire. “A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him,” is no doubt a reference to the angels of heaven—myriads and thousands and thousands of angels. “…the judgment was set and the books were opened. 11 I beheld…the beast was slain, and his body was destroyed.” You read about that in Revelation 19:20. When does that happen? It happens when Jesus comes back in His Second Coming. He’s going to make an end of the anti-christ. The church is caught up, and the anti-christ is revealed. He makes a covenant with Israel for seven years, the last three-and-a-half years God’s wrath is poured out, and then Jesus Christ returns.

“As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.” I love verse 13. “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man,” this is a reference to Jesus Christ. This is the reference to the Messianic title given to Jesus—the Son of man. All through the gospels Jesus, more frequently than any other title, referred to Himself as the Son of man. It was the favorite title that Jesus used about Himself. Where is it from? Daniel 7, and we find it again in Daniel 9. This is a Messianic title. It indicates His incarnation. Daniel was, no doubt, mind-blown, and when you get to the end of the chapter (and unfortunately we’re not going to get there tonight), Daniel says, “The thoughts in my head just disturbed me,” and he couldn’t sleep, couldn’t think, and kept quiet for days. It was just so overwhelming to see this vision—for Daniel to see a glorified Son of man in the heavenly scene. This is a reference to Jesus Christ. It’s a Messianic title. It was claimed by Jesus.

It’s interesting in Matthew 26:64, when Jesus was standing trial before Caiaphas having been betrayed by Judas, Jesus said to the high priest, Caiaphas, “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Caiaphas knew Jesus was using this title from the book of Daniel and accused him of blasphemy—He was claiming to be divine—but Jesus took this title to Himself.

Then it says (verse 14), “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” This is the stone, cut without hands in Daniel 2, that strikes the image. All the kingdoms of men are destroyed, and God sets up His kingdom for 1,000 years upon planet earth.

I planned on going through the whole chapter tonight. We’re not going to go through the whole chapter tonight. We’re going to wrap it up right now. I’m going to be kind to you and not keep going. I’m telling you—this is amazing stuff! When you watch the news and you’re freaking out on North Korea, Iran, Syria, and what’s going on; you think Trump is going to take us to war, remember that Jesus Christ is sitting on the throne. Amen? He’s in control, and we look for a kingdom whose maker and builder is God. God always keeps His promises. God always keeps His Word. Just as God said in these prophecies, Babylon was overtaken by Medo-Persia, Medo-Persia was overtaken by Greece, Greece was overtaken by Rome and, just as God said, there will be a revived Roman Empire. Out of that revived Roman Empire will come a man with a mouth speaking great words, and he will mesmerize the world just as Hitler with his speeches mesmerized the German nation. People followed him. He’s going to be the most wicked human being ever in the history of mankind. Satan, the dragon, gives him his power, his seat, his authority, and it’s still yet future for planet earth. He’s going to blaspheme God. He’s going to hate the saints of God, and he’s going to do all he can to destroy.

We’re going to read more about him next week in this chapter of Daniel. We’ll piece it together with the book of Revelation—changes laws and times and seasons and persecutes the Jewish people.

You know the Antisemitism that we’re seeing growing stronger in the world today is demonic, but it’s part of the last-days scenario. It’s going to reach its apex of all of history during this time of tribulation—hatred for the Jews, hatred for Christians, and hatred for the things of God. We’re seeing in the United States right now more hostility and hatred for the things of God. We’re seeing synagogues attacked in the United States, people doing things against Jews, and Antisemitism is on the rise. Man’s heart has not changed, and God looks at the kingdoms of men and says they are like wild beasts, ravenous beasts, but He will come and set up His kingdom. This is what the saints have been praying for, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” We need to be living for Him and looking for Him. We need to be setting our affections on things above not on things of the earth. Amen?

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About Pastor John Miller

Pastor John Miller is the Senior Pastor of Revival Christian Fellowship in Menifee, California. He began his pastoral ministry in 1973 by leading a Bible study of six people. God eventually grew that study into Calvary Chapel of San Bernardino, and after pastoring there for 39 years, Pastor John became the Senior Pastor of Revival in June of 2012. Learn more about Pastor John

Sermon Summary

Pastor John Miller continues our survey through the Book of Daniel with a message through Daniel 7:1-14 titled, “Thy Kingdom Come.”

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Pastor John Miller

April 19, 2017