Persevere in Prayer
Posted: October 1, 2023 Filed under: Apocalyptic, Confession, evil, God, guilt, Identificational Repentance, Jesus, Love, Prayer, Sermons, sin, Temple, The End Times Leave a commentHere is a riddle: What changes your family history, replaces your current guilt with love, and fights evil in the future? Most of the struggles in your life have to do with one of those issues. Your past is catching up to you. You are struggling with present failures. And there is evil just around the corner that is ready to take you down. What changes your family history, replaces your current guilt with love and fights evil in the future? Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 9 to find out. If you don’t have a Bible, please raise your hand and we will give you one. Part of the passage we read is apocalyptic and figurative. And because of this I want to remind you what Bible Scholar Tremper Longman teaches about interpreting apocalyptic literature, “Apocalyptic images communicate truth, but not with precision and apocalyptic numbers are symbolic.”[1]
To give you a little background, Daniel and his friends were taken captive in Judah in 586 B.C. by the Babylonians. They were renamed, re-educated and most likely, castrated. They served the royal court throughout Babylonian empire and into the first stages of the Persian Empire. Daniel was wise and also knew how to interpret dreams. He served the Babylonian and Persian kings never compromising his integrity despite how they killed his family and took away what some would say was his Jewish identity. That was the narrative of chapters 1-6. Then God gives Daniel personal visions in Daniel 7-8 of how history would enfold in order to encourage God’s people to persevere. Now, we get a peek into the prayer life of Daniel 9. We saw in Daniel 6 when he wouldn’t stop praying 3 times a day despite the threat of being thrown into the lion’s den. What would you do if you had the choice to pray or be preyed on by lions? Would you at least close the shades so people couldn’t see you pray? Not Daniel! He is was bold in his prayers. Now we read Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9 during the day of King Ahasuerus of Persia. We encountered that name when we studied Esther this summer. But let’s not get our timelines confused. “Ahasuerus is the Hebrew rendering of a Persian word taken into Greek as ‘Xerxes.’ The father of Darius the Mede must have been a different Xerxes from the last Xerxes I, who reigned from 486-465 BC as described in Esther 1:1. This is because this vision of Daniel in chapter 9 was in “539 B.C.”[2] It has been argued that the name Xerxes/Ahasuerus is an ancient throne name for Persian kings.”[3] So Esther and Daniel aren’t contemporaries and were describing about two different Persian kings.
“The date of Daniel’s prayer in 539 B.C. is significant, for this was the year in which the Persians conquered the Babylonians, whose empire, under Nebuchadnezzar, had defeated and exiled Judah some decades earlier.”[4] This was a time of transition. Are we in times of transition in our country, economy, schools, and churches? It sure seems so. Transitions require petitions to God. I’ll say that again – transitions require petitions to God. The key point though of Daniel 9 is not who was on the Persian throne when Daniel prayed, but who was on the heavenly throne when Daniel prayed. Read Daniel 9!
What changes our family history, replaces our current guilt with love, and fights evil in the future? CONFESS OUR SINS DAILY TO GOD! Notice that I said our sins. We in the West are often so individualistic that we don’t realize there is a communal aspect to our sin and that our sin affects everybody else. This is why we can seek and grant forgiveness on behalf of others. Theologians call this identificational repentance. One of you can stand as represent of your family and seek forgiveness or grant forgiveness for the whole family. This was most on display this week when the prime minister apologized on behalf of the government for honouring a Nazi when Ukrainian President Zelensky addressed parliament. Or think back to June 11, 2008 when PM Stephen Harper apologized on behalf of the Canadian government for crimes against the First Nations. But listen to me carefully, that is seeking bring about restoration on a human level. Those individual perpetrators of the crimes and sins are still responsible for their sins to the ones they offended and certainly still responsibility before God. Identificational repentance can help with restoration, not redemption! Having one act as a federal head is important. Daniel understood this very clearly despite Scripture recording any specific sins of Daniel. Nevertheless, Daniel was a sinner because he admits so in verse 20, “While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel.” Did you catch what I just said! Daniel was a sinner. If Daniel was a sinner, I am certainly one. How about you? You see, “The suffering of God’s people is ultimately the result of their own sin.”[5] “The greater the measure of divine favour that God has granted, the greater the responsibility and resultant guilt.”[6]
In the short time I have today, my hope is that we will see the importance of confessing our sins directly to God. Notice I said directly to God. You don’t have to go to a priest. You don’t have to have a saint in heaven pray for you. You can confess directly to God. Of course, confessing with others is encouraged by God for healing in James 5:16, but it isn’t required all the time. Confess your sins directly to God. Be specific. Ask God to show you your sins (Psalm 139:23-24). And if you do, there are the benefits. Before I get to those benefits though we need to understand that we pray first for God’s benefit, not for ourselves. God is the one we are to bless first, not ourselves. This was Daniel’s perspective. “Daniel has total lack of self-interest and instead deep concern for God’s name.”[7] “Daniel’s appeal is not ultimately on the people’s plight, but on the reputation of God Himself.”[8] Look at verses 3-4, “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep His commandments.”
Why did Daniel pray this at this moment of his life when he was age 80? Some of you here today are around 80. Can you imagine seeing our whole Prime Time Plus group in sackcloth and ashes? Why did Daniel pray this now at age 80? Because he thought that the time of exile was up. He remembered Jeremiah’s prophecy in Jeremiah 25:11-12, “The whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste.” This is another case showing the Bible to be true, inerrant and infallible. The Promised Land was to go through a 70 year Sabbatical. “Sabbath and Jubilee years reminded the people, regardless of their economic status, that their lives and land belonged to Yahweh, their covenant God and He is ultimately doing the work.”[9] But they broke the Sabbath of the land and God used it to restorethe land. “Between the Law of Moses and the prophets, God’s people had no breaks.”[10] Like a farmer who never leaves his or her field fallow, they will ultimately destroy their livelihood. Instead, the land needs a break. We recently saw this globally during the pandemic when everything shut down and the world rested for a brief time. “There was a reduction in air, water and noise pollution. Hot spots for tourist had a chance to recover.”[11] The pandemic was horrible, but God has a way of redeeming it. Creation care is important to God! Obeying His commands is important to God.
And then there is Daniel. Daniel had clung to God’s promises throughout his family’s murder. Daniel clung to God’s promises during his treacherous walk of 800 km across the desert to Babylon. Daniel clung to God’s promises when he was renamed, re-educated and castrated. Daniel clung to God’s promises as he served these wicked and pompous pagan kings. And now he wanted to see action. Maybe you have been faithful to God for many years? And you now think there should be a change? What should you do? Confess your sins daily to God!
If you do, there are benefits first to God and also to us. Here they are! Benefits for confessing your sins to God include: 1) Changes in your family history. (v. 5-10) Look what Daniel says in verses 5-7, “We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants, the prophets who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you.” Notice the sin wasn’t based on geography but treachery. “Where you are, there you go!” as the therapists tell us. A different pace or a different place does not fix our sin problem. Back to Daniel 9:8-10, “To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking by His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.” My friends, lots of people like to blame their families for present sins. And I do not deny Jesus’ warning that some have caused these little ones to sin. However, taking responsibility for your part of the sin is the first step in breaking your bonds to the devil. Beloved, stop blaming your parents, your grandparents, your siblings and the rest of your family for your sins or skepticism or atheism or New Agism. Each one of us will have to give account for what we did with Jesus. God can change your family. We just heard this from Patrice’s testimony. Anybody had a polygamist witch doctor as their father in the house today? Didn’t think so and even if you did – Jesus is stronger and prayer can break those strongholds! Confess your family’s sins and your sins before God and see if God breaks the chain of rebellion.
Confess your sins to God and see what changes in your family is benefit 1. Benefit 2 is that if you confess your sins to God, 2) God will replace your guilt with love (v. 23). Here we have verse 23, “At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved.” “In response to his prayer for the restoration of Jerusalem, Daniel received an angelic messenger, Gabriel, with a vision for him. Gabriel’s arrival was clear proof that Daniel’s prayer had been heard and his request for favour had been honoured by the Lord.”[12] I wonder if Daniel questioned whether God loved him as Daniel suffered so much. In the words of Philip Yancey, Daniel was one who “was given the stewardship of suffering as well as the stewardship of success.” Daniel suffered more than he succeeded even though he rose to # 3 in the empire under King Belshazzar (5:29). Have you ever questioned whether God loves you when you see a seemingly delay in His promises or your circumstances seem so dark? Maybe a transition is not going as you expected? Or maybe you think God has buyer’s remorse from redeeming you as the Puritan Thomas Godwin addresses in his book The Heart of Christ. As Gabriel declared it to Daniel, I want to tell you that you are loved. You are loved by God! He will take all the guilt and shame that belong to us and replace it with righteousness, mercy and forgiveness. Amazing! It’s not a fair trade, but God isn’t fair otherwise we would all be condemned to hell. Praise Him for His mercy. Confess your sins to God and He will replace your guilt with love.
Pretty good benefits so far, eh? Confessing our sins to God also 3) fights evil in the future. (v. 24-27) Here is where we get into the 70 weeks declaration by Gabriel. As Pastor Jason told our pastoral team, “What does the 70 ‘weeks’ mean for those who are greatly loved?”[13] Hope! Let me explain! Remember, apocalyptic numbers are symbolic not literal. You should understand, “The Western mind is trained to estimate and to calculate in fives and tens. The ancient Jewish mind was more likely to think in terms of sevens.”[14]“There are different views about the seventy sets of sevens. The two main views are that either the 69 weeks are the history between Cyrus II of Persia to Antiochus IV of Greece (539 B.C. to 163 B.C.) or from the decree of the Persian King Artaxerxes to the death of Christ (445 B.C.- 33 A.D.)”[15] I hold to the view that the 69 ‘weeks’ were from Artaxerxes to Christ. In fact, this prophecy is utterly amazing. Bible scholar Timothy Paul Jones explains, “In 445 BC, a Persian ruler named Artaxerxes specifically selected Nehemiah to return to and to rebuild the city (Nehemiah 2:1-8). Lighting the prophetic fuse at this requires that the 490 years be calculated at 360-day “Jewish prophetic years” to fit with later events. The Apostle John seems to have used 360-day years in Revelation. If the decree of Artaxerxes went on March 14, 445 B.C., sixty-nine prophetic years would total 173,880 days and end on April 6, 32 AD – a date that some scholars believe to be the moment of the Messiah’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11).”[16] This all makes me want to fall on my knees before our promise-keeping sovereign God. How about you?
But there is more! “There are six purposes of the Seventy-sevens found in verse 24. The first three are negative – to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin and to atone for iniquity (lack of integrity) – and the last three are positive – to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet and to anoint a most holy place.”[17] “It is clear that reference in these first 3 items is mainly to Christ’s first coming, when sin was brought to an end in principle.”[18] “Some hold that ‘to finish the transgression’ and ‘put an end to sin’ specifically describe Israel’s rebellion whereas others hold that this is transgression and sin refers to all humanity. ‘To atone for iniquity’ refers specifically to the complete atonement by the Messiah Jesus Christ of Nazareth at the Cross. ‘To bring in everlasting righteousness’ refers to the millennial kingdom and eternal reign that follows afterward, though some believe the kingdom has already been inaugurated. ‘To seal both vision and prophet’ means this prophecy will certainly come true. ‘To anoint a most holy place’ points to the New Jerusalem Temple though some hold to Zerubbabel’s temple in the past or Ezekiel’s millennial temple in the future.”[19]
There are many views about the final seven of these weeks. As I stated at our End Times Now event back in August, I presented all the different eschatological views and you can hold anything of them and still be a member of our church as long as you believe Jesus is coming back visibly and physically. I am not going to go over those again, but in our Resource Centre you can go to my personal copy of book End Times Prophecy by Timothy Paul Jones on pages 170-171 and check out the different views. The Resource Centre’s copy is on loan right now. There is also a couple of the 4 Views of the End Times pamphlets that you may find helpful to understand the views. Or if you have a ESV Study Bible on page 1608,[20] there is a helpful timeline with the views though I wish they would use the words Premillennial, Postmillennial and Amillennial to describe the views as these terms are better known. Today I want to be clear and focused on what I believe and will be teaching by asking some important questions and conclusions: “Who is the Anointed One? (v. 25-26) Jesus!Jesus was the Anointed One and first ruler or prince. He was ‘cut off but not for Himself,’ indicating that he was a sacrifice for the sins of His people. He was the federal head for us. He could represent us with all our sins before God and they become forgiven. This is another form of identificational repentance. But also notice “The moment Messiah died on the cross, the prophetic clock stopped. There has not been a tick on that clock for 19 centuries.”[21]
Who is the ‘ruler who is to come’? (v. 26) The Antichrist! The ruler ‘yet to come’ is a future Antichrist who will appear in the end times to deceive the Jewish people. How will ‘sacrifice and offering’ come to an end? (v. 27) The Antichrist will make and then break a covenant with the nation of Israel putting an end to sacrifices and offerings. This will happen halfway through the Great Tribulation of 7 years (the final week) as the temple in Jerusalem will have been rebuilt. A ‘great parenthesis’ of time stands between the sixty-ninth and seventieth sevens. Before or during the first part of the seventieth ‘week’, a new temple will be built. The Antichrist will make a covenant with the nation of Israel guaranteeing safety and security. In the middle of this final ‘week,’ the Antichrist will break his pact and end sacrifices and offerings.
What is the ‘abomination that causes desolation’? (v. 27) The Antichrist will present himself in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem as divine.”[22] What a reminder that “a cosmic war stands behind human conflict.”[23] And so, when we confess our sins, we are saying that we no longer want to be part of the devil’s disobedience. We want to follow Christ going forward!
What changes our family history, replaces our current guilt with love, and fights evil in the future? CONFESS OUR SINS DAILY TO GOD!
So today here are the action points. ACTION POINTS FOR YOU WHO ARE:
- Seeker – Ask, “God, could you please show me my sin?”
- Skeptic – Daniel stated what belonged to God and what belonged to human beings. What problems do you have that belong to you? What are going to do about it? What if there was a God who could do something about it?
- Religious – It is easy to look out the window and not in the mirror. What do you need to personally repent of?
- Spiritual – How are you going to pursue a better self when there are some sins from your family and your past that you can never escape from unless you turn to God?
- New Christian – Confess your sins daily to the Lord.
- Mature Christian – Confess your sins daily to the Lord.
[1] Tremper Longman, Daniel (The NIV Application Commentary) (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, Kindle Edition, 1999), 192.
[2] Longman, 223.
[3] Eugene E. Carpenter, The NLT Study Bible (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2017), 1411.
[4] Peter J. Gentry & Stephen J. Wellum, Kingdom through Covenant (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 535.
[5] Longman, 229.
[6] H.C. Leupold, Exposition of Daniel (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1949), 388.
[7] Joyce Baldwin, Daniel – An Introduction and Commentary (Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 1978), 167.
[8] Longman, 225.
[9] Wendy L. Widder, The Story of God Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 195.
[10] Tremper Longman, Daniel (The NIV Application Commentary) (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, Kindle Edition, 1999), 223.
[11] Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7498239/. Accessed September 30, 2023.
[12] Iain Duguid, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 1606.
[13] Jason Elliotson at the TBC Pastoral Team meeting on September 25, 2023.
[14] Timothy Paul Jones, The Rose Guide to End Times Prophecy (Carol Stream: Rose Publishing, 2011), 160.
[15] Carpenter, 1413.
[16] Jones, 165.
[17] Jones, 167.
[18] Leon Wood, A Commentary on Daniel (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), 249.
[19] Jones, 167.
[20] https://www.esv.org/resources/esv-global-study-bible/diagram-27-01/. Accessed September 28, 2023.
[21] Edward J. Young, The Prophecy of Daniel (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980), 199.
[22] Jones 170-171.
[23] Longman, 230.
God is in Control over History – Part II
Posted: September 24, 2023 Filed under: Apocalyptic, Babylon, Bible, Greece, Israel, Jesus, Persecution, Persia, The Antichrist, The End Times, The Word of God, Worship Leave a commentwhat news if you heard it, would make you sick? What would overwhelm you? Let’s find out the vision that made the prophet Daniel sick. Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 8. If you don’t have a Bible, please raise your hand and we will give you one. Daniel 8 is one of the most difficult passages in the Bible to interpret. As one preacher said so well, “When a divinely gifted interpreter of dreams and visions as Daniel cannot understand it, even with Gabriel the angel explaining this prophecy to him, what are we do with this text?” [1] What makes it so hard to interpret? It is apocalyptic literature. As I confessed last week, I am a very concrete thinker. If I see something abstract, I want to know the meaning behind it. However, I want to continue to encourage those of us concrete, black and white thinkers, that through the Holy Spirit, we can come to a good and faithful interpretation of apocalyptic Scriptures. Just remember what Bible Scholar Tremper Longman teaches about interpreting apocalyptic literature, “Apocalyptic images communicate truth, but not with precision and apocalyptic numbers are symbolic.”[2] Read Daniel 8!
Permit me again to explain the text before we get into some implications for our own lives. I want to remind you what Bible Scholars Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum explain these visions to be, “Chapters 6-12 are a series of visions given to Daniel by God and are presented like maps provided with blow-up inserts.”[3]Think of these visions as a map of Canada. There is a blow-up insert to see the detailed streets of the GTA. That is chapter 7. Chapter 8 would be a street view of the K-W region. Since many of us use the phones on our maps nowadays, think of God giving the zoom feature to Daniel. God gives the big picture to the pagan kings, but the details to His servant and child Daniel! The theological term for this is progressive revelation. As time went on, God revealed more and more to His people culminating in Jesus Christ and completed when the Book of Revelation was written. Remember, just as Daniel outlasts the Babylonian and Persian kings he served, we as God’s people will live forever and outlast our opponents.
“This vision came two years after the vision of chapter 7 in 551 B.C. when Daniel was 69 years old.”[4]What a reminder that God still gives visions to those in the second half of their life. God is not done with you yet if you are north of 40. Furthermore, “Daniel’s apocalyptic chapters were neither to terrify nor to pinpoint prophetic events.”[5] “Chapter 8 expands upon the second and third kingdoms mentioned in chapter 7.”[6] The second kingdom is Persia, which was pictured as a bear with ribs in its mouth in chapter 8. (pic of bear)[7]“The ram is Persia in chapter 8 just as the bear was Medo-Persia in chapter 7.”[8] “The 3 ribs equals the 3 empires of Babylon, Egypt and Lydia that were conquered by Persia.”[9]
The third kingdom was represented by a four-headed leopard representing Greece (pic of leopard). Remember, “Leopards (lit. spotted lions) may not be quite the equal of lions and bears in point of strength, but they can be compared with them at least in ferocity and may excel them in swiftness and in lightness of movement.”[10] The four heads most likely represented the four Greek generals that took over after Alexander the Great. “These four generals of Greece that took over from Alexander the Great were called the Diadochi.”[11] They weren’t as powerful as Alexander as Gabriel explains in verse 22.
Now, let’s turn to chapter 8 – the zoomed in vision of the second and third kingdoms. You may wonder why Daniel had another vision about these kingdoms. Recall last week the reasons why God gave Daniel these personal visions when he had already interpreted these dreams for the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. We learned that vision leaks and there needs to be confirmation of prophecy by both the messenger and recipient of the message. Donald Whitney describes the need for reminders of God’s truths, “In the mid-1970’s, I started reading Proverbs, one chapter a day because there are 31 chapters in the book. It occurred to me recently that I had read the entire book of Proverbs more than 500 times, and it just blew me away. I get to Proverbs 7 on the seventh of every month. Solomon, looking out the lattice of his window, saw a young man going down the street to the harlot’s house. And I know exactly what’s going to happen. I know the story. I know it by heart. I have virtually memorized the story. And I want to say, ‘Look, dude, don’t go down there this month. One time, would you not go down there? You’ve gone down there 500 times. It’s always gone badly for you. Could you not …?’ But every month, he goes down there. And I’m tempted often, ‘Why do I need to read this again? I’ve got the information down. I don’t get anything new, really, from an intellectual perspective.’ But then I realized when that temptation is presented to me, I’m never more than 30 days away from a fresh reminder to run away from sin. That’s what I need. Not the information, but the fresh reminder and the impact of the message. And so I’ve read the whole Bible a lot of times. I continually need the warnings, the exhortations, and the comforts that come from familiar material.”[12] I don’t know about you, but I need God to repeat things to me so I get them.
So let’s summarize chapter 8. Daniel’s vision predicted 500 years of precise history, which should build our faith.[13] “The vision is so accurate that some interpreters who do not think the Bible can contain truly predictive prophecy claim that this material was not written in the 6th century B.C. by Daniel, but after the events occurred.”[14] Those who are revisionists will have to revise their views when they see the Lord, but it will be too late. For those of us who believe the Bible to be accurate and without error, this may be the final fact that leads us to trust in Jesus fully! Here is another chart to explain the vision:
| THE VISION | THE PROPHECY (What will happen) | HISTORY (What did happen) |
| 2 point buck sheep butting west, north and south | The kings of the Medes and Persians | 550-530 B.C.The Persian empire expanded westward into Babylonia, Syria and Asia Minor; northward into Caspian Sea Region; and southward into Egypt and Ethiopia |
| 1 point hairy he-goat from the west with a broken off horn | The first king of Greece | 334-323 B.C.Alexander the Great |
| 4 points grow after the broken point | 4 weaker kingdoms from Greece | 319-64 B.C. (Diadochi – 4 Generals)Cassander (Macedonia)Lysimachus (Asia Minor)Seleucus (Babylon & Syria)Ptolemy (Egypt) |
| From 1 point grows a smaller point | 1 stern-faced (bold-faced) king | 175-164 B.C. (Seleucid dynasty)Antiochus IV |
Here are a few more insights: The buck sheep was best demonstrated by “The rapid progress of Cyrus during his 10 year reign suggested a ram goring every beast that withstood him.”[15] “The male of the flock represented oppressive rulers for the prophet Ezekiel, a contemporary of Daniel (Ezekiel 34:17). The 2 horns represented the Kings of Media and Persia.”[16] “One horn grew larger than the other, which is surely a reference to the fact that the Persian part of this empire soon swallowed the Media Part and assumed dominance.”[17] “The goat with the single conspicuous horn that speedily devastated the ram is Greece, with the single horn being its first king – Alexander the Great.”[18] “The little horn is Antiochus IV, the 8th ruler of the Seleucid dynasty.”[19] “He banned circumcision of the Jews, ended sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem and deliberately defiled the temple by sacrificing a pig on the altar and placing an object to the Greek god Zeus in the Holy of Holies. He burned the Scriptures and slaughtered those who were faithful to God.”[20] “It was a little more than 6 years from the time when Antiochus IV murdered the Jewish high priest Onias III in 170 B.C. until the time of Jacob Maccabeus’ revolt in 164 B.C.”[21] This explains the 2300 evenings and mornings in verse 26, which equals 6 years. Also, the angel Gabriel is introduced to us. “Gabriel means ‘God’s hero.’”[22]“Gabriel told an exhausted Daniel to seal up the vision because it concerned a far-away day.”[23]
So those are the facts. What does this have to do with us? There may be multiple fulfillments of this prophecy during different time periods because there is always an antichrist figure in the world ready to fully oppose God. The Apostle John clearly taught this in 1 John 2:18, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come.” The Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 corroborates this truth, “The man of lawlessness is already at work…” So Daniel’s vision could have first been fulfilled in 6 years (‘2300 evenings and mornings’), “From 550-544 B.C. when Cyrus broke free from his allegiance to Astyages the Mede and established the joint state of the Medes and Persians”[24] or it could have been fulfilled during evil Antiochus’ reign. Bible scholar Leon Wood asks a good question, “Why is the period of Antiochus IV called ‘the end’ in verse 17 & 19 when Christ was not born for more than a century and a half? Antiochus’s oppressive reign was a partial fulfillment of the prophetic vision of the Antichrist.”[25]
That makes sense to me. What I struggled with in understanding this vision is why does God seemingly mix metaphors – a bear is now a ram and leopard now a hairy he-goat. When we don’t understand something in the Scriptures, follow this rule: Use the Bible to interpret the Bible! Think deeply about the nature of these animals in this vision. What is the difference? Don’t just think biologically, but biblically. This is not a zoology lesson on carnivores vs. herbivores, even though Daniel 7’s vision of mutant beasts were all carnivores alluding to the power, violence and bloodshed that they would impose with their horns. Think biblically! God was not mixing metaphors. Why wouldn’t God continue to use the metaphor of the leopard symbolizing Greece in chapter 7 and carry it on into chapter 8? Well, it wasn’t God changing His password with the different visions so that non-believers wouldn’t be able to understand and infiltrate His people. God uses apocalyptic literature to encourage the saints to persevere. Let me say that again because it helps our eschatology and study of the end times – apocalyptic literature aims at helping the saints persevere by giving them foreknowledge of persecution. Biblical apocalyptic passages help God’s people brace for persecution. Daniel’s vision and his subsequent writing it down was to encourage perseverance during the difficult times. And to quote the philosopher G.I. Joe, “Knowing is half the battle.” God’s people, the Jews at the time, needed a heads up on the horrific persecution they were going to experience under Antiochus IV over three centuries later and particularly, his attack on their worship. One scholar explains, “The beasts used as symbols in Daniel 7, are unclean (lion, bear, leopard), while those used in Daniel 8 are clean (ram, goat). In contrast to the beasts of Daniel 7, the animals in Daniel 8 are sanctuary animals.” When the Bible talks about animals, it most often describes them as clean or unclean – going all the way back to before the law of Moses when you see clean and unclean animals taken for sacrifice onto Noah’s Ark (Genesis 7:2-3; 8:20-21). The ram and goat symbolized sacrifices that would be perverted by these evil empires. They would take what was meant by God to atone for sin and end violence and instead, make them violent.
Therefore, the leopard of Daniel 7 conveys the speed of Greece’s victory across the horizon. The goat of Daniel 8 conveys the attack on the sanctuary by Greece both in Jerusalem and in heaven!Daniel 7 is about earthly empires, while Daniel 8 is about earthly empires assaulting heaven. It is cosmic war involving angels as verse 10 describes the battle rising to the hosts of heaven. One scholar explains this well, “Daniel 8 emphasizes the element of conflict, but at two levels: the historical (horizontal) and the spiritual (vertical). The goat attacks the ram and is victorious; the little horn attacks the south (Palestine) and is victorious. But, then, the little horn does something that no other kingdom has done: It goes against the Prince of the Host in the heavenly sanctuary (v. 11, 25). This is the vertical dimension of its campaign: It makes an assault against Heaven itself!”[26] Antiochus IV and every antichrist figure down through the centuries leading to the ultimate Antichrist someday have directed their hostility toward God. It helps to explain why goats represent evil in the Bible and in our world (Matthew 25:33). The scapegoat was sent out into the desert/wilderness to perish after having the sins of the Israelites placed upon it (Leviticus 16:21-22). No wonder the Baphomet Goat in a pentagram is the official symbol of the Church of Satan.
Hopefully this vision and sermon has helped to create an intolerance to rebellion and sin and instead to follow the living God. Let’s conclude with some implications and some action points. Here are some implications for our lives that we can learn from these kings represented by the buck sheep and hairy he-goat. My friend Rick Baker has taught, “There are many people who have expended everything they have to get where they are, only to find they don’t have enough to keep what they were able to get.”[27] “Some are not a victim of their own success, but regularly successful by victimizing others.”[28] “Human evil is most noticed and concentrated on the stage of human governments.”[29] So “take these things very seriously and ‘get up and go about the king’s business’ (v. 27).”[30] Let’s end there and think about Jesus as our King. Be about the King’s business despite: 1) Evil being presently rammed down your throats (v. 3-4). Some of you are having evil rammed down your throat at school, at work and other places in the community. Keep your eyes on King Jesus and continue to be on His mission by sharing the gospel that overcomes wicked hearts. Be about the King’s business despite: 2) A hairy and horrific future for your people (v. 5-14, 21-23). The Bible does not promise things will be easy for believers. Just the opposite. All those who want to be godly must suffer (2 Timothy 3:12). Are you ready to endure? For now, have compassion for your brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray for the persecuted. We plan to do that in part at our Prayer Summit next weekend. Be about the King’s business despite evil being presently rammed down your throats and a hairy and horrific future for your people and 3) overwhelming sickness (v. 27). Some of you are sick today. This vision made Daniel sick when he thought of the persecution of God’s people and desecration of God’s worship. The economy with its 4% inflation in one month shouldn’t make you run to the toilet. The loss of that dream school should not cause you to grab a bucket to throw up. It is the loss of people worshipping God that should make you sick. However, take comfort from these words from Revelation 19:1-2 from the Apostle John, “After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for His judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of His servants.” He reigns! God is in control of History. It is His story! KING JESUS WILL OVERCOME THE WORSHIP WAR IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH! Praise Him! He reigns!
ACTION POINTS FOR YOU WHO ARE:
- Seeker – Ask, “God, if you are real, what is keeping me from fully trusting you when I see that Your word comes true?”
- Skeptic – Ask yourself, how does this fulfilled prophecy in history help me to trust in the God of the Bible?
- Religious – Ask God, what am I trying to sacrifice that has been taken care completely of by Jesus, the Prince of princes and Prince of Peace?
- Spiritual – Ask God, “Does my present form of pursuing peace and tranquility line up with a reality of history and present evil? Do I need someone outside of myself to overcome evil? Does Jesus meet that role?”
- New Christian – Ask God, “Show me how the Bible can interpret the Bible” so I can study it better
- Mature Christian – Don’t forget that the mighty always break and are replaced. Be about the King’s business by serving Him and loving your enemies
[1] Bob Deffinburgh, https://bible.org/seriespage/9-ram-goat-and-horn-daniel-81-27. Accessed September 18, 2023.
[2] Tremper Longman, Daniel (The NIV Application Commentary) (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, Kindle Edition, 1999), 192.
[3] Peter J. Gentry & Stephen J. Wellum, Kingdom through Covenant (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 534.
[4] Leon Wood, A Commentary on Daniel (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), 206.
[5] Wendy L. Widder, The Story of God Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 186.
[6] Peter J. Gentry & Stephen J. Wellum, Kingdom through Covenant (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 534.
[7] https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/daniel-four-beasts/. Free Copyright! Accessed September 11, 2023.
[8] H.C. Leupold, Exposition of Daniel (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1949), 337.
[9] Jones, 151.
[10] H.C. Leupold, Exposition of Daniel (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1949), 293.
[11] Longman, 206.
[12] Donald Whitney, “An Inseparable Bond,” Didaktikos (Bellingham, WA: Volume 6, Issue 3, February 2023), 22-23.
[13] Adapted with permission from Rick Baker, “The Buck Sheep and the Hairy He-Goat” Sermon, (Oshawa: Calvary Baptist Church, January 22, 2012).
[14] Iain Duguid, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 1602.
[15] Baldwin, 156.
[16] Baldwin, 156.
[17] Longman, 205.
[18] Longman, 206. Wendy Widder also holds the view that the little horn is Alexander the Great (Widder, 181).
[19] Edward J. Young, The Prophecy of Daniel (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980), 178.
[20] Duguid, 1605.
[21] Timothy Paul Jones, The Rose Guide to End Times Prophecy (Carol Stream: Rose Publishing, 2011), 160.
[22] Longman, 205.
[23] Widder, 182.
[24] Joyce Baldwin, Daniel – An Introduction and Commentary (Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 1978), 155.
[25] Wood, 223.
[26] Source: https://ssnet.org/qrtrly/eng/02b/less04.html. Accessed September 16, 2023.
[27] Baker.
[28] Baker.
[29] Baker.
[30] Baker.
God is Control Over History
Posted: September 17, 2023 Filed under: Apocalyptic, Babylon, chaos, Communion, Daniel, evil, God, Government, Greece, Jesus, Kingdom of God, Leadership, Roman, Saints, The Antichrist Leave a commentWhen I first came home with Lori to meet her family, I was introduced to Lori’s little sister Danae at the time. Like Lori, Danae has a fantastic imagination. She would create stories in her mind and then tell them to us with great eloquence. We would always ask her, “Danae, is this real or fantasy?” Today, we begin a journey through the back half of the Book of Daniel in the Bible. There are many visions that Daniel has in the last half of Daniel unlike in the first 6 chapters of Daniel when he is describing stories of what happened to him and his friends in Babylon. For those new to us, if you want to go back to the Spring and watch the series on the first six chapters of Daniel, you can find it at https://www.templebaptistchurch.ca/boldinbabylon.
There is also a Social-Historical background sheet you can pick up at the Connect Desk. To recap, Daniel and his friends were taken captive by the Babylonians, renamed, re-educated and most likely, castrated. They served the royal court throughout Babylonian empire and into the first stages of the Persian Empire. Now we are moving to the personal visions of Daniel. “We change genres from narrative to apocalyptic.”[1] And this is what makes it so hard to interpret. I am a very concrete thinker. If I see something abstract, I want to know the meaning behind it. However, I want to encourage those of us concrete, black and white thinkers, that through the Holy Spirit, we can come to a good interpretation of apocalyptic Scriptures. Just remember what Bible Scholar Tremper Longman teaches about interpreting apocalyptic literature, “Apocalyptic images communicate truth, but not with precision”[2] and “Numbers are especially used in a symbolic manner in apocalyptic literature.”[3]
Now that we have some of the guidelines about reading apocalyptic literature when it comes to images and numbers, please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 7. If you don’t have a Bible, we would love to give one to you. Just raise your hand and one of our Frontline Staff will give you one to treasure. When we read Daniel 7, some of you might ask that same question that Lori’s family asked Danae except let’s change the name from Danae to Daniel, “Daniel, is your vision real or fantasy?” I want to reassure you that these visions and their meanings are very real and many have amazingly come true in history and will in the future. God gave these visions to Daniel to encourage him and all God’s people to trust that God is in control over history despite the evil all around us. Longman declares: “The implicit message to God’s people is: ‘Remain faithful in spite of appearances.”[4] Let’s read Daniel 7 to remain faithful by keeping our eyes on Jesus in an ever-increasing hostile environment. Read Daniel 7! (Explain that “a time, times and half a time = 3.5 years or 42 months)
Just so you know where we are going today with this message – I am going to start by engaging your minds and explaining this vision through teaching you what it means. Then we will focus on our hearts and how this vision points to Jesus and His victory, which will lead us to thankfulness in Communion. Now after reading this vision, maybe some of you are wondering whether Daniel ate too much shawarma the night before and had a nightmare? This vision was not caused by indigestion. This was a very specific vision from God that occurred earlier in Daniel’s time in Babylon and now he is looking back. We know the exact date in history from verse 1, “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon.” In chapter 6, Daniel was an old man serving in the Persian Empire under King Darius who reigned starting in 539 B.C. on. In chapter 7, Daniel starts to record his own personal visions God gave him. Sometimes it is wise to just keep a spiritual experience between you and God until you can understand it (v. 28). Cherish it like a private secret between you and a lover. Ask God for understanding. But wait until you share it. It needs to mature and for time to show it is true. As the saying goes, “Truth and time go hand in hand.”
Chapter 7 occurred in “552 BC”[5] to confirm the vision that Nebuchadnezzar had earlier received and Daniel interpreted in chapter 2 about Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom and its fall to the Persians. Why would Daniel receive such a personal vision? I think there are two reasons: a) Vision leaks.[6] We forget what God has done and “The prophets are like the lawyers of the covenant,”[7] reminding God’s people of His law and commitments. Maybe you have forgotten how God used you in the past? Maybe there were things you didn’t understand at the time that God wants to revisit? Don’t forget how God worked in the past. This vision was for Daniel, but he wrote it down for God’s people, many who would be returning exiles. It serves as a reminder, “You can get the people out of Babylon, but how do you get Babylon out of the people?”[8] We need to get Babylon out of us. How? The Bible is often a reminder of God’s faithfulness of the past because vision leaks; b) God often informs the messenger and mystic! Have you ever had anybody tell you, “God told me …”? I believe one of the lessons we can learn from the visions of Daniel is that God doesn’t just tell the messenger, but also the recipient of the message. 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 commands us as followers of Christ, “Do not despise the prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” What I have learned to do is when people tell me they have a message from the Lord, I first test it to see if it aligns with the Word of God and the character of God. If it makes it past the first round of testing, then I wait to see if God confirms the prophecy to me and others. Remember, “truth and time go hand in hand.” Daniel had the prophecies personally confirmed that he proclaimed to the Babylonian and Persian kings as they came true in his own lifetime through the transitions of power. If only the messenger hears from God, then the messenger has too much spiritual power and abuse can occur.
So Daniel receives a personal vision looking back for a reminder of God’s faithfulness so he can also look ahead for God’s fulfillment of His promises. However, “Unlike his contemporary prophet Ezekiel (1:4-25), Daniel is totally unprepared for this vision.”[9] Daniel is disturbed by the vision as verse 15 describes Daniel’s feelings. Then God comforts Daniel by the end of the vision. I love how Bible Scholars Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum explain these visions, “Chapter 7 begins the second half of the book, in which the Babylonian king’s dream is expanded in a series of visions presented like maps provided with blow-up inserts.”[10] We may see the map of Ontario or Canada, but need the blow-up insert to see the detailed streets of Toronto or the K-W region. Since many of us use the phones on our maps nowadays, think of God giving the zoom feature to Daniel. God gives the big picture to the pagan kings, but the details to His servant and child Daniel! The theological term for this is progressive revelation. As time went on, God revealed more and more to His people culminating in Jesus Christ and completed when the Book of Revelation was written. Remember, just as Daniel outlast Nebuchadnezzar, we as God’s people will live forever and outlast our opponents.
Let me explain the vision by walking us through the various images. We need to first understand that “Malformed creatures were considered omens in Ancient Mesopotamia, Babylonian and Persian culture.”[11]These weird creatures were deformed. “These beasts are bizarre; they are mutant perversions of what God intended for His creation.”[12] This conveys that evil was mixed in with their power. We know this as they came up out of the sea (v. 2), a place of chaos due to demonic activity. One Bible scholar writes, “Deep in the psyche of the people of the Ancient Near East, the sea was more than a dangerous place. It was a threatening force that was raged against the beneficial forces of creation.”[13] “The four winds of heaven suggest winds coming from all parts of the earth – east, west, north and south – worse than hurricanes. The ‘stirring up of the sea’ was a symbol for chaos and potential rebellion against God.”[14] Psalm 93:3-4 describes, “The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods have lifted up their roaring. Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty.”(c.f. Psalm 18:15) And it wasn’t just the ancients that saw the seas as dangerous. People today, even with all their technology, know that the seas can quickly swallow one up.
Let’s get specific about the creatures from this chart from Old Testament Scholar Wendy Widder[15]:
| Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Daniel 2)* | Daniel’s Vision (Daniel 7) | Roman View | Greek View |
| Gold head | Lion with wings | Babylon | Babylon/Nebuchadnezzar |
| Silver Torso | Bear with ribs | Medo-Persia | Media |
| Bronze midsection | Leopard with 4 heads/wings | Greece | Persia |
| Iron legs | Fourth beast/10 horns/little horn | Rome/revived or extended old Roman Empire/antichrist | Greece/ Seleucid kings/Antiochus IV Epiphanes |
| Rock | One like a son of man/saints of the Most High | God’s kingdom; established at the first and second advents (birth and return of Christ) | God’s kingdom; established at some point after the fall of Greece. |
*You can see an artist’s rendition of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue! (pic of statue)
The Greek view is usually purported by scholars because they cannot believe that Daniel and the Bible could be so accurate in its interpretation, but some conservative scholars hold the Greek view. Tremper Longman holds, ““A strong case can be made that the fourth beast is Greece,”[16] but I am going to recommend we hold to the Roman view.
I realize your own imaginations are better, but maybe a visual will help showing these hybrid creatures?[17] “The beasts represent kingdoms.”[18] “These 4 great beasts are four kings and yet, later ‘king’ becomes ‘kingdom.’”[19] You have a lion with wings symbolizing Babylon. “Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar) is like a lion (Jeremiah 4:7; 50:44) and an eagle (Ezekiel 17:3, 11-12).”[20] Then you have a bear representing Persia with ribs in its mouth. “The 3 ribs equals the 3 empires of Babylon, Egypt and Lydia that were conquered by Persia”[21] or “Cyrus conquered Astyages (550 B.C), Anatolia (547 B.C.) and Croesus of Lydia (547 B.C.).”[22] Whatever interpretation you choose, “The ribs represent the victim of the previous hunt, which has not satisfied its appetite.”[23] Then you have a four-headed leopard representing Greece. Remember, “Leopards (lit. spotted lions) may not be quite the equal of lions and bears in point of strength, but they can be compared with them at least in ferocity and may excel them in swiftness and in lightness of movement.”[24] The four heads may represent the four Greek generals that took over after Alexander the Great. Then there is the fourth beast, which is not named, but described as ferocious and having 10 horns with an 11th horn. “The 10 horns could represent double the power, longevity and influence of Rome or the 10 major Caesars discounting the other 2 Caesars that reigned only for a couple of months.”[25] “In the Old Testament, eyes and speech are often indicators of character, so the description of this eleventh horn in verse 8 seems to anticipate arrogance, irreverence and wickedness. When the little horn appeared, 3 of the other 10 were uprooted and the little one took over the scene.”[26] It holds particular interest for us. OT Scholars Edward Young and Leon Wood both believe, “The horn is the Antichrist.”[27] He will rule a “revived ‘Roman’ world.”[28] Remember this important truth that my friend Pastor Jon Thompson teaches, “The Antichrist and Christ are a lot alike.”[29] Jesus, as the Messiah, was prophesied as the horn of David in Psalm 132:17, “I will cause the horn of David to spring forth; I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed.” And then check out how the Apostle John describes Jesus as the Lamb of God in apocalyptic imagery in Revelation 5:6, “And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven hornsand with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out all the earth.” Those seven horns represent perfect power. The Antichrist will be evil personified with a seemingly kind and winsome personality, but not have the ultimate power that Christ has.
I was taught in Bible College that Satan does not know when Christ will come back so he always had his guy (aka the Antichrist) ready to oppose God. Antiochus Epiphany IV was the Greek leader that defiled the Temple in 169 B.C. by sacrificing an unclean pig on the altar when only clean sheep and bulls were allowed to be sacrificed. Then down through the centuries there have been many antichrist figures. Hitler would be a well-known one from the last century. But I want to make clear that the Antichrist has not come yet and neither has Christ’s Second Coming.
One more explanation that we need to uncover from verse 13. Who is the Ancient of Days? It is God the Father! God the Son also appears in the vision. Jesus identifies Himself as “The Son of Man” in Matthew 26:63-65 when He was on trial before the Jewish religious leaders, “And the high priest said to Him, ‘I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said to Him, ‘You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his robes and said, ‘He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard His blasphemy.’” The high priest helps us know the Son of Man referred to the God-man and Jesus was identifying with God. But notice that Jesus said “from now on.” This means that Jesus’ kingdom had been established as described in Daniel 7:13-14. In another vision, the Apostle John describes Jesus in Revelation 1:13-14 as, “and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire.” “No matter how high the human throne, Christ’s throne is higher. Always!”[30] And this is why Daniel’s vision ends with fire. “The events that follow in Daniel’s vision that the river of fire are symbolized as God’s judgment.”[31]And as we know from situations like the recent fire in Hawaii, one can be on top of the world one moment, the next be gone.
It is why we must Look to Jesus to overcome: 1) chaotic nightmares (v.2); We look to Jesus to overcome our chaos. The seas represented the dark forces. Here is where God is speaking to our hearts. Maybe you find yourself dealing with a lot of swirling chaos? Maybe it is even affecting your sleep? I want to remind you that the Son of Man – Jesus Christ is the King of the Universe and is in control. If the winds are whipping up in your life, the one coming on the clouds is above them. In the ancient world, there was a belief “In the god El, an aged god with a gray beard. His son Baal was the storm god. Known as the Rider on the Clouds. Baal served under El as vice-regent.”[32] But remember how in 1 Kings 18 with the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal as fire came down from heaven and destroyed the altar as well as the prophets of Baal. That story showed God is stronger than the impotent god Baal. Jesus is above the storms of life and chaotic nightmares.
We must also look to Jesus to overcome: 2) mutant empires (v. 3-6, 17). Remember, these creatures were mutants. They weren’t as God intended because they came from the evil sea and were deformed. They were not the true kingdom. They were mutants and mutinous. We see them again in Revelation 13:1-10! “The two beasts in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 are the same because: a) they both have 10 horns; b) both violently oppose God and c) both persecute God’s saints.”[33] Friends, we look at present day governments and many are angry or afraid. This vision reminds us that anyone in power that is against God will be ultimately defeated.
So we look to Jesus to overcome chaos and empires and also 3) monstrous leaders (v. 7-8, 19-27; c.f. 1 John 2:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:7). Look at verse 25 because it summarizes well monstrous leaders and particularly, the Antichrist. “Four characteristics are given in verse 25: a) blasphemy (‘speak words against the Most High’); b) long drawn-out persecution (‘wear out the saints of the Most High’); c) a new table of religious holidays to suppress Israel’s holy days (‘change the times’); and d) a new morality (‘the law’).”[34] But Jesus will overcome all these evil acts. Christ’s kingdom will reign forever and His saints will receive the kingdom. That is a great promise for us who believe in Jesus. Are you on the winning side? Do you believe in Jesus? Wendy Widder summarizes, “The message is simple enough: God will not abandon His people in their opposition and those who remain faithful will share in his eternal kingdom.”[35] “Endurance is possible because the best is yet to come.”[36] Look to Jesus to overcome chaos, mutant empires and monstrous leaders.
This leads us to the Lord’s family table. Let me conclude by telling you a story. “The historian Pliny described the Roman emperor Domitian, who reigned for 15 years, ‘as the beast from hell who sat in its den, licking blood. He relished sadistic cruelty. He caught flies just so he could stab them with his knife and entertained himself with gladiatorial fights between women and dwarfs. He was the first Roman Emperor to title himself God the Lord and insisted others to cheer him with the phrases Lord of the earth! Invincible! Glory! Thou alone! The Jews and Christians refused to utter such blasphemy and were targeted for intense persecution. Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, the ‘Father of Church History,’ cites Hegesippus, a church historian from the second century, as saying that among the oppressed were the great-grandsons of Joseph and Mary: ‘Domitian brought from Palestine to Rome two kinsmen of Jesus, grandsons of Judas, the brother of the Lord, but seeing their poverty and rustic simplicity, and hearing their explanation of the kingdom of Christ as not earthly, but heavenly, to be established by the Lord at the end of the world, when he should come to judge the quick and the dead, Domitian let them go.’”[37]
The Lord’s family table is to be a continual reminder of Christ’s victory and His presence with us until He comes. Are you a believer in Jesus Christ? Then you can join us. If not, I must declare to you with all the love I can, there is impending judgment and hell for you. Instead of fellowship, you will be destroyed like these beasts. You will only have chaos, mutinous empires with their evil dictators and finally fiery judgment before you. Christ is the Son of Man come for us. He died for you and wants you to receive His Kingdom. Will you? We are going to pray for the bread and cup and distribute it. For those following King Jesus – this is joy! For those of you not following King Jesus – please repent and then you can join us, otherwise let the elements pass on by. Christ is the king that slays the beast and gives His kingdom forever! This is not fantasy! This vision is most real! For those not following King wholeheartedly – repent! For those suffering for the King – remain under and keep your eyes on Jesus.
[1] Tremper Longman, Daniel (The NIV Application Commentary) (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, Kindle Edition, 1999), 176.
[2] Longman, 192.
[3] Longman, 193.
[4] Longman, 188.
[5] Iain Duguid, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 1599.
[6] I heard this phrase first from Bill Hybels.
[7] Gentry & Wellum, 536.
[8] Peter J. Gentry & Stephen J. Wellum, Kingdom through Covenant (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 539.
[9] Joyce Baldwin, Daniel – An Introduction and Commentary (Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 1978), 141.
[10] Peter J. Gentry & Stephen J. Wellum, Kingdom through Covenant (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 534.
[11] Wendy L. Widder, The Story of God Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 148.
[12] Longman, 182.
[13] Longman, 182.
[14] Edward J. Young, The Prophecy of Daniel (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980), 163 and Leon Wood, A Commentary on Daniel (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), 188.
[15] Widder, 159.
[16] Longman, 188.
[17] https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/daniel-four-beasts/. Free Copyright! Accessed September 11, 2023.
[18] Leopold, 308.
[19] Baldwin, 144.
[20] Timothy Paul Jones, The Rose Guide to End Times Prophecy (Carol Stream: Rose Publishing, 2011), 149.
[21] Jones, 151.
[22] Duguid, 1600.
[23] Baldwin, 139.
[24] H.C. Leupold, Exposition of Daniel (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1949), 293.
[25] Duguid, 1600.
[26] Widder, 154.
[27] Iaian Duguid, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 1599.
[28] Rick Baker, “The End – Daniel 7-12” Sermon, Calvary Baptist Church, Oshawa, Ontario, March 18, 2012.
[29] Jon Thompson, “Training with Temple Baptist Church Staff,” Cambridge, ON, September 13, 2023.
[30] Widder, 168.
[31] Widder, 155.
[32] Widder, 155.
[33] Leon Wood, A Commentary on Daniel (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), 199.
[34] Baldwin, 146.
[35] Widder, 165.
[36] Widder, 170.
[37] Robert J. Morgan, On This Day (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997), September 13.
Commissional 