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The Book of Daniel
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Chapter 7
Daniel Chapter 7
Verse 1
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon – Daniel’s stories in Chapters 1-6 are
given in chronological order, as are the prophecies in Chapters 7-12. Therefore, as
we begin the prophetic portion of Daniel, it is necessary to back up somewhat in
history. The events of this chapter took place in the year 553 BC, nearly 14 years
before the fall of Babylon, when Daniel was approximately 70 years of age.
Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed – Daniel had what we
would call a prophetic dream. The prophecy given in this dream is closely related to
the dream of the great image in Chapter 2, and covers the same span of history.
However, the prophecy of Daniel 7 is from a slightly different perspective, and it
provides more detail.
Daniel 7 was written especially for the people of God. It reveals Satan’s efforts to
control the world and his attempts to destroy God’s people. It also reveals God’s
response, as He guides history and finally convenes the judgment in heaven to
unmask Satan’s activities and vindicate His people.
Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts – Daniel recorded this dream
especially for us (1 Peter 1:12). Notice that his description of the dream is only a
summary of all that he saw.
Verse 2
The four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea – This prophecy is given
using symbolic language. Each item described in the dream represents something
else. The Bible itself gives us the keys to interpreting these symbols.
Winds are a symbol of strife, war, bloodshed and destruction (Jeremiah 25:31 – 33;
51:1, 16; see also Ezekiel 7:1, 2). (SOP 1)
The sea represents multitudes of people, the nations of the earth (Revelation 17:15;
Isaiah 17:12, 13).
When symbolic winds and waters are placed together, it represents “nations which
are warring for world dominion.” Notice that the four beasts described in this dream
arose from the sea while the winds were blowing upon the sea. It was through war
and strife that they gained world dominion. (SOP 2)
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Verse 3
Four great beasts came up – These four beasts represent world kingdoms that
arose to power one after another (Daniel 7:17, 23). Down through history, animals
have often been used to symbolize nations. Modern examples are the eagle (United
States), a bear (Russia), and a lion (Great Britain). This prophecy is God’s political
cartoon of world history.
Verse 4
The first was like a lion – The lion represents Babylon (Jeremiah 4:7; 50:17) (605 –
539 BC), and it corresponds to the golden head of the image. It is no coincidence
that the lion was used by the Babylonians as a symbol of their nation. Lions, even
winged lions, are found on their seals and monuments. Thousands of tiles depicting
lions were placed along the processional way entering the city of Babylon.
And had eagle’s wings – Wings in Bible prophecy represent speed of conquest
(Ezekiel 17:3, 12, Lamentations 4:19, Habakkuk 1:6 – 8).
Its wings were plucked off – Plucking of the wings represents the time when
Babylon would no longer be swift to conquer the nations. It refers especially to the
less powerful rulers that followed Nebuchadnezzar, under whom Babylon lost her
glory and power.
It was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a
man’s heart was given to it – This represents the loss of Babylon’s lion-like qualities,
and her rising up in pride and rebellion against God (see Daniel 5:20 – 23). The
man’s heart symbolizes Babylon’s change of character after Nebuchadnezzar’s
death.
Verse 5
Suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear – The bear represents the kingdom
of the Medes and Persians (Daniel 5:31, 8:20) (539 – 331 BC), and it corresponds
to the chest and arms of silver in the image. The sudden appearance of the bear
indicates that its rise to power would be sudden and unexpected.
It was raised up on one side – This symbolizes that one of the two co-ruling
kingdoms would be more powerful than the other. This detail is remarkably true to
history. When the kingdom began, the Medes were predominant. But the Persians
soon took over and the Medes receded into the background. Through the latter part
of its history, the kingdom was ruled exclusively by Persian kings.
And had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth – The three ribs in the bear’s
mouth represent the three nations which the Medes and Persians conquered in
order to ascend to power. Lydia (ancient Turkey/Anatolia) was conquered in 547
BC, Babylon was overcome in 539 BC, and Egypt was forced to submit in 525 BC.
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Notice that these three ribs were held in its mouth, and not chewed up and
digested. This symbolizes that Medo-Persia did not absorb these powers, but
controlled them by its “fangs.”
And they said thus to it: “Arise, devour much flesh!” – We are not told who “they”
are, but it is clear that Someone behind the scenes is giving Medo-Persia
permission to conquer (compare with Daniel 2:37, 38). The phrase, “devour much
flesh” also gives us a glimpse into the character of this kingdom. The Persian kings
that ruled after Cyrus were noted for their intolerance and cruelty.
Verse 6
After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard – The leopard represents
the kingdom of Greece (331 BC – 168 BC), and it corresponds to the belly and
thighs of bronze in the image.
Which had on its back four wings of a bird – The leopard is in itself a swift animal,
but this leopard has four wings. This represents that Greece would conquer the
world even more swiftly than Babylon.
That is exactly what happened. Alexander the Great conquered the whole Near
East, from Egypt to the Indus Valley in India, in just 3 years. Nebuchadnezzar took
13 years to reach a stalemate with Tyre, but Alexander conquered Tyre in only eight
months.
The beast also had four heads – The four heads represent the four divisions of
Alexander’s empire after his death. The four generals that took charge of these
divisions are Ptolemy (who ruled Egypt, Palestine and part of Syria), Cassander
(who ruled Macedonia and Greece), Lysimachus (who ruled Thrace and part of Asia
Minor), and Selecus (who ruled other portions of Asia Minor, northern Syria and
Mesopotamia).
And dominion was given to it – Notice that the leopard did not take dominion, but
dominion was given to it. This is another glimpse behind the scenes, where God is
guiding history and giving the kingdom those whom He chooses.
Verse 7
Behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong - The fourth beast
represents the Roman Empire (168 BC – 476 AD), and it corresponds to the iron
legs of the image. Daniel did not compare this terrifying beast to any specific
animal, but the book of Revelation makes it clear that this beast is a dragon.
It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the
residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it – What
made this kingdom “different” was its cruelty. With huge iron teeth it devoured
everything it encountered, and then it broke in pieces what it could not carry off. It
even spitefully trampled on the residue that it abandoned.
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It was this kingdom that employed the horrors of crucifixion as a means of capital
punishment. Rome crucified our Lord and martyred the apostles. A high point of the
‘Roman Holiday’ was the slaughter of Christians, either as burning torches in the
Colosseum or as food for ravenous beasts.
And it had ten horns – The ten horns represent the ten kingdoms (476 AD – 538
AD) into which the Roman Empire was divided when it fell apart. The ten horns
correspond to the ten toes of the image.
Germanic tribes from the continent of Europe swept down upon Rome, breaking it
apart and dividing it among themselves. These tribes later became the nations of
Western Europe. Following is a list of these tribes and the nations they became.
Germanic Tribe
Alemanni
Anglo-Saxons
Burgundians
Franks
Suevi
Visigoths
Lombards
Heruli
Vandals
Ostragoths
European Nation
Germany
Britain
Switzerland
France
Portugal
Spain
Italy
now extinct
now extinct
now extinct
Verse 8
I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up
among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots –
As Daniel was contemplating the ten horns, he noticed another “little” horn growing
up among the ten, and pushing out three of the first horns as it came up. This little
horn represents Papal Rome (538 – 1798 AD), and it corresponds to the mixture of
iron and clay in the image’s feet and toes. The three horns that the little horn
uprooted as it came into existence are the Heruli, the Vandals and the Ostragoths.
And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man – Eyes represent wisdom
and understanding (Ecclesiastes 2:14, Ephesians 1:18). This horn has human eyes,
indicating that it would have human wisdom and understanding.
And a mouth speaking pompous words – The fact that this little horn has a mouth
suggests a prominent spokesperson at its head. Later on we will find that the
pompous words spoken by this “mouth” are words of blasphemy.
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This little horn will prove to be the great antichrist of Bible prophecy. At the time of
the Protestant Reformation, all the reformers understood that the little horn was the
Roman Catholic Church. But through the counter-reformation, the church introduced
new methods of prophetic interpretation to divert the attention of the world away
from the Papacy as the antichrist. This effort has been amazingly successful. Today
we stand nearly alone in the belief that the little horn is the Papacy.
Because the identity of the little horn is so disputed, we need positive biblical proof
of its identity. Consider the following list of identifying characteristics, all taken from
the description of the little horn in Daniel Chapter 7.
1. The little horn arose from the fourth beast (vs. 8). The fourth beast represents the
Roman Empire, so the little horn must also be a Roman power. This is also
represented by the mixture of iron with the clay in the feet and toes of the image.
The Papacy precisely fulfills this point of identification, being Roman in all its
dimensions. Notice the following:
a. The Papacy is called the Roman Catholic Church.
b. The official language of the Vatican is Latin, the language of ancient Rome.
c. In its official documents, the Vatican employs Roman numerals.
d. The headquarters of the Papacy is Vatican City, which is geographically located
in Rome.
e. The architecture at the Vatican is Roman. A comparison between the architecture
of ancient Rome and the Vatican shows them to be virtually identical.
f. The religion of the Roman Catholic Papacy was inherited from Pagan Rome.
Beginning with the Roman emperor Constantine, all sorts of pagan practices were
brought into the church. In fact, the title Pontifex Maximus (Supreme Pontiff) used
by the pope was first used by the pagan Roman emperors.
g. Historians and theologians consistently emphasize that Papal Rome inherited
and perpetuated the Roman Empire, but in a different way. It was a religiouspolitical system.
2. The little horn arose among the ten horns (vs. 8). The ten horns represent the
divisions of Western Europe, so the little horn must have arisen in Western Europe.
(Notice that these first two characteristics restrict the geographical location of the
little horn to Western Europe.)
The Papacy fulfills this point of identification, having arisen in Rome, Italy, right in
the heart of Western Europe.
3. The little horn arose after the ten horns (vs. 24). According to historians, the ten
horns were established as independent kingdoms by 476 AD, so this must mean
that the little horn arose to power some time after the date 476 AD.
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The Papacy fulfills this point of identification. After Pagan Rome fell in 476 AD, the
Papacy could not exercise its absolute sovereignty over the nations of Europe until
they were subjected to its control. Three of these kingdoms, the Vandals, the Heruli
and the Ostragoths, were rebellious and refused to submit to the Bishop of Rome,
and it was a number of years before they were subdued.
4. The little horn would pluck up three of the first ten horns by the roots (vs. 8).
Verse 20 explains that three of the first horns would fall before the little horn, and
verse 24 tells us that the little horn would subdue three kings (horns). In other
words, three of the first ten nations would disappear from history!
The Papacy fulfills this point, having uprooted three of the ten kingdoms. This is
how it happened: Seven of the ten barbarian kingdoms were converted to
Christianity and submitted to the authority of the Bishop of Rome. However, three of
the kingdoms converted to Christianity but embraced the heretical teachings of
Arius, who taught that Christ was not God but a created being. Being a threat to the
supremacy of Rome, these three kingdoms were uprooted by the civil powers,
acting under the influence of the Bishop of Rome. The Heruli were destroyed in 493
AD, the Vandals in 534, and the Ostragoths in 538.
5. The little horn would speak pompous [great, KJV] words against the Most High
(vs. 20, 25). Revelation 13:5 explains what these words would be, namely,
blasphemy. What is blasphemy according to the Bible? It is when a merely human
power claims to be God on earth, and when it thinks that it can exercise the
prerogatives and functions of God (see John 10:30 – 33; Mark 2:7).
The Papacy does claim to be God on earth, and also claims the right to exercise the
prerogatives of God (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4). Notice the following quotes taken
from Roman Catholic sources that confirm this:
The New York Catechism states:
“The pope takes the place of Jesus Christ on earth. . . By divine right the pope has
supreme and full power in faith and morals over each and every pastor and his
flock. He is the true Vicar of Christ, the head of the entire church, the father and
teacher of all Christians. He is the infallible ruler, the founder of dogmas, the author
of and the judge of councils, the universal ruler of truth, the arbiter of the world, the
supreme judge of heaven and earth, the judge of all, being judged by no one, God
himself on earth.” (Quoted in Lorraine Boettner, Roman Catholicism, p. 127)
Pope Leo XIII stated in an Encyclical Letter dated June 20, 1894:
“We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.” (The great Encyclical Letters
of Leo XIII, p. 304.)
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Notice the following words from the Baltimore Catechism:
“The priest does not have to ask God to forgive your sins. The priest himself has the
power to do so in Christ’s name. Your sins are forgiven by the priest the same as if
you knelt before Jesus Christ and told them to Christ Himself.” (Quoted in Lorraine
Boettner, Roman Catholicism, p. 197.)
Before we look at the following blasphemous statements, it is important to
understand the Roman Catholic view of the Mass. In their view, 1) the priest has the
power to change the bread into the real flesh of Jesus and the wine into His real
blood. 2) Christ is contained in His totality (known as “ubiquity”) in each host
distributed by the priest. 3) Because Christ is totally present in each host, the host is
worshiped by the priest and the faithful. Obviously, for these concepts to be true,
the priest would have to exercise the powers of Almighty God. And this is just what
the Roman Catholic Church believes. Notice the following words of St. Alphonsus
de Liguori:
“With regard to the power of the priests over the real body of Jesus Christ, it is of
faith that when they pronounce the words of consecration the Incarnate Word has
obliged himself to obey and come into their hands under the sacramental species.
We are struck with wonder when we hear that God obeyed the voice of Josue-The
Lord obeying the voice of man-and made the sun stand still when he said move not,
O sun, towards Gabaon, , . . . .and the sun stood still.
But our wonder should be far greater when we find that in obedience to the words of
his priests-HOC EST CORPUS MEUM-God himself descends on the altar, that he
comes wherever they call him, and as often as they call him, and places himself in
their hands, even though they should be his enemies. And after having come, he
remains, entirely at their disposal; they move him as they please, from one place to
another; they may, if they wish, shut him up in the tabernacle, or expose him on the
altar, or carry him outside the church; they may, if they choose, eat his flesh, and
give him for the food of others.” (St. Alphonsus de Liguori, Dignity and Duties of the
Priest or Selva, pp. 26, 27.)
“Thus the priest may, in a certain manner, be called the creator of his Creator, since
by saying the words of consecration, he creates, as it were, Jesus in the sacrament,
by giving him a sacramental existence, and produces his as a victim to be offered to
the eternal Father. As in creating the world it was sufficient for God to have said, Let
it be made, and it was created-He spoke, and they were made-so it is sufficient for
the priest to day, ‘Hoc est corpus meum,’ and behold the bread is no longer bread,
but the body of Jesus Christ. ‘The power of the priest,’ says St. Bernardine of
Sienna, ‘is the power of the divine person; for the transubstantiation of the bread
requires as much power as the creation of the world.” (St. Alphonsus de Liguori,
Dignity and Duties of the Priest or Selva, pp. 33, 34.)
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6. The little horn would be a persecuting power (vs. 21, 25).
The Roman Catholic Church has been an ardent persecutor of dissenters
throughout its history. It has been conservatively estimated by historians that at
least 50 million ‘heretics’ were killed during her 1260-year rule.
Some today believe that the Roman Church has since changed in character, that
this persecution could never again take place. But this is not the case. (SOP 3)
7. The little horn would intend [think, KJV] to change God’s times (vs. 25).
The Roman Catholic Church also fulfills this point. Obviously this refers to her
change of the Sabbath, from the seventh day to the first day of the week. But the
Catholic Church has also changed God’s timetable of prophetic events, having
invented two false systems of prophetic interpretation to rival historicism.
As noted previously in these studies, the great reformers such as Martin Luther
studied the books of Daniel and Revelation and concluded that the Papacy was the
antichrist of Bible prophecy. To counteract this teaching, two Spanish Jesuit priests
were charged with the task of creating alternative methods of prophetic
interpretation. Luis de Alcazar created Preterism and Francisco Ribera created
Futurism.
Preterism and Futurism seem to be complete opposites, but they have one thing in
common. One relegates prophecy to the distant past, while the other pushes
prophecy off into the future. But both make Daniel and Revelation irrelevant for our
day, and thereby change God’s prophetic times. The incredible thing is that virtually
all of the Protestant churches have since accepted these false methods of prophetic
interpretation.
8. The little horn would have the audacity to try to change God’s holy law (vs. 25).
An examination of the Ten Commandments, as listed in many different Roman
Catholic catechisms, reveals that they have indeed tried to change God’s law. The
second commandment forbidding image worship is consistently omitted. Because
this leaves only nine commandments, the tenth is divided into two. In addition, the
fourth commandment has been abbreviated to “Remember the Sabbath day to keep
it holy,” leaving out the portion identifying the seventh day of the week as the
Sabbath. And the faithful are encouraged to attend mass and rest on Sunday in
fulfillment of the commandment.
The church freely admits to changing the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday.
Notice the following quote from The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, 1957
edition, by Peter Giermann:
“Question: Which day is the Sabbath day?
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“Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.
“Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
“Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in
the Council of Laodicea (A. D. 336), transferred the solemnity from Saturday to
Sunday.”
9. The little horn would be different from the ten horns (vs. 24).
The Roman Catholic Church is indeed a different power than the kingdoms that
came before her. The fundamental difference is that the Papacy is an amalgamation
of church and state. The Bishop of Rome became not only the head of the church,
but he was given the throne vacated by the Caesars.
10. This power would govern for a time and times and a half a time (vs. 25).
A “time” is a year (see Daniel 4:16, margin). So one time is a year, times (dual) is
two years, and a half a time is half a year. This adds up to three and one-half years,
or 1260 days. In Bible prophecy, literal days symbolize years (Numbers 14:34,
Ezekiel 4:6), so this power would govern for 1260 years.
The Roman Catholic Church fulfills this point, having ruled over Europe for exactly
1260 years! The church came to supreme power in 538 AD when the last of the
rebellious kingdoms were uprooted. And on February 10, 1798, General Berthier
entered Vatican City, arrested Pope Pius VI and took him captive to Valence,
France, where he died in exile. It was the intention of Napoleon to eradicate the
Papacy as an enemy of the republic. It is important to realize that the Papacy, as a
church, did not cease to exist in 1798, but its civil authority was removed.
This list of ten identifying characteristics, all taken from Daniel Chapter 7, proves
beyond a shadow of a doubt that the little horn is the Roman Catholic Papacy. It is
the only power in history that fulfills to the letter all ten points.
Verses 9, 10
Up to this point in the dream, Daniel has been shown events taking place on earth.
We have seen more than 2,400 years of war and strife among the nations, as they
contended with one another for world dominion. But now, as the vision continues,
God abruptly lifts our eyes from earth to heaven.
Don’t miss the fact that this judgment takes place at a specific time in world history.
In verse 8 we saw the little horn rule for 1260 years, its rule ending in 1798 AD. And
now in verse 9 we see the judgment begin in heaven. In other words, this judgment
begins some time after 1798.
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I watched till thrones were put in place [cast down, KJV] – The thrones spoken of
here are the judges’ seats during the judgment. Notice that they are being put into
place just before the presiding Judge is seated. This scene took place in the Most
Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary on October 22, 1844.
And the Ancient of Days was seated – The Ancient of Days is God the Father, the
presiding Judge. The very first business of the court is the seating of the Judge.
His garment was white as snow – The Father’s white garments represent His
perfect righteousness and impartial justice.
And the hair of His head was like pure wool – His white hair portrays Him as wise
and venerable.
His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; A fiery stream issued and
came forth from before Him – This is a description of God’s glory. To Daniel, God’s
throne appeared to be made of fire that emanated out in streams (Hebrews 12:29).
A thousand thousands ministered to Him – These are the attending angels, ready to
serve God’s every command.
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him – These are the myriads of
angels surrounding the throne (compare with Revelation 5:11). They are the
observers at the judgment.
The court was seated [judgment was set, KJV] – Literally, “began to sit.” As
previously noted, this scene marks the beginning of the judgment. (SOP 4)
And the books were opened –These are the books of record, used when conducting
the judgment. They are: 1) The Book of Life (Revelation 3:5), a record of every
person who has entered the service of God, 2) the Book of Remembrance (Malachi
3:16), a chronicle of the good deeds of every saint, and 3) the Book of Records
(Ecclestiastes 12:14; Revelation 20:12), listing the sins of mankind.
Verse 11
Daniel’s attention is briefly brought back to the earth. Even while the judgment is
taking place in heaven, the little horn continues its blasphemous speech on earth.
This continues until the dragon beast is slain (remember that the little horn is on the
head of this beast) and its body burned (see Revelation 19:19, 20).
Verse 12
Although the kingdoms represented by the four beasts have long ago disappeared,
their false religion and philosophies have been perpetuated in the little horn. It is in
this sense that “their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.”
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Verse 13
Daniel’s attention is again directed back to the judgment taking place in heaven:
Behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! – Before
Daniel’s wondering eyes, Jesus comes into view! The clouds are actually myriads of
escorting angels (Psalm 104:3, 4; Matthew 24:30. Also notice the next phrase in this
verse, where “they” are referred to as bringing Jesus before the Father, obviously a
reference to the angels.).
He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him – This is
NOT describing the Second Coming, because Jesus is being brought before the
Father to begin the judgment. (SOP 5)
Verse 14
This verse reveals to us the underlying purpose of the judgment. At the conclusion
of the judgment, Jesus will receive His eternal kingdom from the Father, and then
return to the earth for His people (Luke 19:11 – 15). (SOP 6)
Verses 15, 16
Instead of rejoicing at the thrilling conclusion of the dream, Daniel admits that he is
grieved and troubled. Apparently he was more caught up with the horrors
perpetrated by the four beasts and the little horn against God and His saints than
with the glorious power granted to the Son of Man. So Daniel approached an
attending angel (possibly Gabriel) and asked for an explanation, which was given.
Verses 17, 18
Notice that the angel only briefly touches on the earthly kingdoms, giving no details.
Quickly he brings Daniel’s focus to the conclusion of the judgment, when Jesus
receives His eternal kingdom and shares it with the redeemed.
Verses 19, 20
Instead of rejoicing at the good news and keeping his eyes fixed on Christ, Daniel
continued to worry about the details of the history of the beasts, which had so
powerfully impressed him. So he asked the angel for a further explanation of the
fourth beast and the horns on its head.
Verses 21, 22
In response, the angel first showed Daniel a ‘mini-vision,’ in which the little horn
successfully warred against the saints until God convened the judgment and ruled
in their favor.
Verses 23 – 27 are a further explanation by the angel of what Daniel has just seen.
Verses 23 - 25
Quickly passing over the fourth beast and the ten horns, the angel then gave more
information about the little horn and its activities.
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Verses 26, 27
Again the angel brings Daniel to the focal point of the vision. The purpose of the
judgment is to pass sentence upon the little horn, take away its dominion, and give
the kingdom to Jesus who will share it with the saints. The angel concluded by
reminding Daniel that God’s kingdom will be eternal, with no more sin and rebellion.
Verse 28
After the dream and the explanation were ended, Daniel was still greatly troubled.
His experience is a powerful reminder for us. We tend to make the same mistake as
Daniel, and place our focus more on the beasts and the little horn than on the
judgment.
The heart of the message of Daniel 7 is the judgment going on right now in
heaven. The rest of Daniel’s dream points forward to the judgment, and it should be
our main focus as well. Why? Because the judgment is very good news for God’s
people!
Look again at Daniel 7:22. The purpose of the judgment is to vindicate God’s
people, not condemn them. For thousands of years Satan has misrepresented the
saints and influenced the wicked to hate and persecute them. The reason God
convenes the judgment is to set the record straight before the onlooking universe.
We have been falsely accused, and we should be looking forward to our day in
court!
So why is it that so many ignore the judgment? Perhaps it is because of fear. Many
feel unworthy and unready to face the record of their life. It is true that our every
thought and deed will be brought into judgment (Ecclesiastes 12:14). And God will
not overlook one unconfessed and unforsaken sin. But God has granted us this time
of probation, that we might search our hearts through the illumination of the Holy
Spirit, confess every sin, and put them all away through His power.
The judgment simply confirms the fact that our sins have all been forgiven. The final
act of the judgment is to permanently blot out our forgiven sins from the record
books of heaven. This is why the judgment is also called the cleansing of the
sanctuary.
Before we leave Daniel 7, let’s consider one more aspect of the judgment that
makes it such good news for God’s people.
In this judgment, who is the presiding Judge? God the Father (Daniel 7:9).
What is our relation to Him? He is our Father, and we are His children (1 John 3:1).
As our Father, how does He feel toward us? He loves us so much that He gave His
own Son to redeem us (John 3:16).
In this judgment, who is the deciding Judge? Jesus (John 5:22).
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What is our relation to Him? He is our elder Brother (Hebrews 2:11).
Why has the Father granted Jesus the authority to decide our cases? Because He
became one of us and was tempted like we are (Hebrews 4:15). Only He can be
completely merciful and faithful when deciding our cases (Hebrews 2:17).
In this judgment, who is our Defense Attorney? Jesus, who intercedes for us
(Hebrews 7:25) and speaks in our behalf (1 John 2:1).
In this judgment, who is the prosecuting attorney? Satan (Revelation 12:10). But
notice what our Defense Attorney has to say to him in the judgment (Zechariah 3:1,
2).
In this judgment, who is the Witness? Jesus, the faithful and true Witness
(Revelation 3:14).
Think of it! In this judgment, the presiding Judge is your Father and the deciding
Judge is your Elder Brother. Not only that, but your deciding Judge is also your
Defense Attorney and your only Witness. Talk about a stacked deck! In this
judgment the question isn’t what you’ve done, it’s Who you know!
The question we all need to ask ourselves is, do I know Jesus as my Saviour and
Lord? If I do, my case is secure. I can’t lose in the judgment! (Romans 8:31, 33, 34).
Spirit of Prophecy Quotations
1 “Winds are a symbol of strife. The four winds of heaven striving upon the great
sea represent the terrible scenes of conquest and revolution by which kingdoms
have attained to power.” – The Great Controversy, page 440.
2 “Earthly governments prevail by physical force; they maintain their dominion by
war; but the founder of the new kingdom is the Prince of Peace. The Holy Spirit
represents worldly kingdoms under the symbol of fierce beasts of prey; but
Christ is "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."” – Christ’s
Object Lessons, page 77.
3 “The Roman Church now presents a fair front to the world, covering with
apologies her record of horrible cruelties. She has clothed herself in Christlike
garments; but she is unchanged. Every principle of the papacy that existed in
past ages exists today. The doctrines devised in the darkest ages are still held.
Let none deceive themselves. The papacy that Protestants are now so ready to
honor is the same that ruled the world in the days of the Reformation, when men
of God stood up, at the peril of their lives, to expose her iniquity. She possesses
the same pride and arrogant assumption that lorded it over kings and princes,
and claimed the prerogatives of God. Her spirit is no less cruel and despotic now
than when she crushed out human liberty and slew the saints of the Most High.
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Chapter 7
The Book Of Daniel
“The papacy is just what prophecy declared that she would be, the apostasy of
the latter times. 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4. It is a part of her policy to assume the
character which will best accomplish her purpose; but beneath the variable
appearance of the chameleon she conceals the invariable venom of the
serpent.” – The Great Controversy, page 571.
4 “Thus was presented to the prophet's vision the great and solemn day when the
characters and the lives of men should pass in review before the Judge of all the
earth, and to every man should be rendered "according to his works." The
Ancient of Days is God the Father. Says the psalmist: "Before the mountains
were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even
from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God." Psalm 90:2. It is He, the source
of all being, and the fountain of all law, that is to preside in the judgment. And
holy angels as ministers and witnesses, in number "ten thousand times ten
thousand, and thousands of thousands," attend this great tribunal.” – The Great
Controversy, page 479.
5 “[Daniel 7:13, 14 quoted] The coming of Christ here described is not His second
coming to the earth. He comes to the Ancient of Days in heaven to receive
dominion and glory and a kingdom, which will be given Him at the close of His
work as a mediator. It is this coming, and not His second advent to the earth,
that was foretold in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300 days in
1844. Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of
holies and there appears in the presence of God to engage in the last acts of His
ministration in behalf of man--to perform the work of investigative judgment and
to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits.” – The
Great Controversy, pages 479, 480.
6 “Christ, as stated by the prophet Daniel, will receive from the Ancient of Days in
heaven, "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom;" He will receive the New
Jerusalem, the capital of His kingdom, "prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband." Daniel 7:14; Revelation 21:2. Having received the kingdom, He will
come in His glory, as King of kings and Lord of lords, for the redemption of His
people, who are to "sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob," at His table
in His kingdom (Matthew 8:11; Luke 22:30), to partake of the marriage supper of
the Lamb.” – The Great Controversy, page 426.
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June 2010