WEBVTT 00:00:01.119 --> 00:00:04.419 Thank you. The last six chapters of Daniel, however, 00:00:04.540 --> 00:00:07.919 are prophetic and contain four major visions 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:12.279 that were given to Daniel regarding the future, 00:00:12.380 --> 00:00:17.839 that is the future from his day. Those four visions 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:21.120 are found in chapter 7, the first one, the second 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:24.660 one chapter 8, the next one in chapter 9, and 00:00:24.660 --> 00:00:28.600 the last one in chapters 10 through 12. And tonight 00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:31.039 we look at the first one in chapter 7, which 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:35.380 is a sweeping panorama of events from Daniel's 00:00:35.380 --> 00:00:38.359 day up until the second coming of Jesus Christ. 00:00:39.700 --> 00:00:42.500 By the way, one proof of the Bible's authenticity 00:00:42.500 --> 00:00:48.820 is the fulfillment of prophecy. The minute details 00:00:48.820 --> 00:00:53.000 that are found in the book of Daniel, which have 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:57.450 been and in some respects still will be fulfilled, 00:00:59.210 --> 00:01:02.009 are evidence of the fact that there is intelligence 00:01:02.009 --> 00:01:05.269 behind this book that supersedes human intelligence. 00:01:07.349 --> 00:01:09.769 These details tell us that there is a sovereign 00:01:09.769 --> 00:01:14.329 God who is in control of history and who, may 00:01:14.329 --> 00:01:18.329 I say, weaves together the events of history 00:01:18.329 --> 00:01:21.530 so that they fulfill what He says that they will. 00:01:21.959 --> 00:01:24.959 And those events eventually come out to his ultimate 00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:30.780 end and purpose. As we look at chapter 7, we 00:01:30.780 --> 00:01:33.060 notice a new name introduced to us. It says, 00:01:33.239 --> 00:01:37.840 in the first year of Belshazzar, King of Babylon, 00:01:38.620 --> 00:01:41.599 Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:47.069 he lay on his bed. Well, who is Belshazzar? There 00:01:47.069 --> 00:01:49.430 was a time in fact there was a long time when 00:01:49.430 --> 00:01:51.549 historians asked that question and they said 00:01:51.549 --> 00:01:55.030 well here is proof that the book of Daniel is 00:01:55.030 --> 00:01:59.590 not the Word of God because there is never recorded 00:01:59.590 --> 00:02:02.769 in history of Belshazzar who was the king of 00:02:02.769 --> 00:02:07.189 Babylon and So liberal critics of the Bible use 00:02:07.189 --> 00:02:10.349 this name this identity to attack the Bible's 00:02:10.349 --> 00:02:14.939 credibility as being historically reliable However, 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:17.599 it is the critics who, in the end, have become 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:22.560 ashamed, as they always do, eventually. Because, 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:25.020 in fact, it has been discovered now that there 00:02:25.020 --> 00:02:29.560 was a Belshazzar in the history of Babylon. Let's 00:02:29.560 --> 00:02:31.340 back up just a little bit, though, and remember 00:02:31.340 --> 00:02:33.919 that we have been talking primarily about King 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:37.219 Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon 00:02:37.219 --> 00:02:40.180 for over 40 years, the greatest of the kings 00:02:40.180 --> 00:02:45.330 of Neo -Babylon. the latter stage of Babylon's 00:02:45.330 --> 00:02:49.729 history. However, Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 00:02:49.729 --> 00:02:54.810 BC. Following his death, his son reigned in his 00:02:54.810 --> 00:03:00.909 place. His son's name was Evil Merodach. This 00:03:00.909 --> 00:03:05.250 man is recorded in the Bible in two places. His 00:03:05.250 --> 00:03:09.069 name is found in 2 Kings chapter 25 and in Jeremiah 00:03:09.069 --> 00:03:13.289 chapter 52. Evil Merodach did not have a long 00:03:13.289 --> 00:03:16.830 reign, just two or three years before he died. 00:03:18.330 --> 00:03:22.610 But he is noted because he is the one who released 00:03:22.610 --> 00:03:27.789 the Jewish king Jehoiachin from imprisonment 00:03:27.789 --> 00:03:32.569 and gave him certain rights as a person of royalty 00:03:32.569 --> 00:03:37.849 and showed kindness to Jehoiachin. The fact that 00:03:37.849 --> 00:03:41.129 he did this has been discovered not only in the 00:03:41.129 --> 00:03:44.389 Bible, but in tablets that archaeologists have 00:03:44.389 --> 00:03:47.569 uncovered at the gate of Ishtar, right there 00:03:47.569 --> 00:03:50.370 at the ancient city of Babylon. That is, this 00:03:50.370 --> 00:03:52.449 deed is not only recorded in biblical history, 00:03:52.509 --> 00:03:55.750 but in secular history as well. Now, this man 00:03:55.750 --> 00:03:58.270 died because he was murdered by his own brother 00:03:58.270 --> 00:04:01.370 -in -law, who then reigned in his place. His 00:04:01.370 --> 00:04:06.849 name was Nerigleser. He reigned for four years. 00:04:07.310 --> 00:04:11.189 He also is named in the Bible in Jeremiah chapter 00:04:11.189 --> 00:04:15.889 39. He is sometimes called Nergal Sharizer as 00:04:15.889 --> 00:04:19.550 well. But he died after just a brief time on 00:04:19.550 --> 00:04:22.250 the throne, four or five years, and his son, 00:04:22.370 --> 00:04:25.089 a young son, was placed on the throne in his 00:04:25.089 --> 00:04:28.990 stead. His name was Labishai Marduk. Now this 00:04:28.990 --> 00:04:34.379 man, this young person, was assassinated. shortly 00:04:34.379 --> 00:04:37.139 after he was placed on the throne, assassinated 00:04:37.139 --> 00:04:40.740 by those around him in the court. And so the 00:04:40.740 --> 00:04:43.000 reign then went to one of the assassins whose 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:46.740 name was Nabididus. He was the last king of Babylon. 00:04:46.860 --> 00:04:52.759 He reigns beginning in 556 BC and was officially 00:04:52.759 --> 00:04:55.759 the king until the end of the empire when the 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:58.980 Medes and the Persians conquered it. However, 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:02.959 Nabididus was not a man who enjoyed the role. 00:05:02.990 --> 00:05:06.410 of King. He would rather be away from Babylon 00:05:06.410 --> 00:05:09.410 than be there. In fact, history records that 00:05:09.410 --> 00:05:11.730 there was one stint of 14 years when he didn't 00:05:11.730 --> 00:05:15.029 even show his face in the capital city. Well 00:05:15.029 --> 00:05:18.709 obviously somebody had to be in charge in the 00:05:18.709 --> 00:05:23.470 city of Babylon and so he appointed his son to 00:05:23.470 --> 00:05:27.990 be co -regent with him and so they reigned together 00:05:27.990 --> 00:05:32.939 for most of that time. Three years after Nabonidus 00:05:32.939 --> 00:05:37.040 became king, his son, Belshazzar, was appointed 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:39.899 to reign with him, and Belshazzar was the one 00:05:39.899 --> 00:05:42.680 who took the official duties in the city of Babylon. 00:05:45.220 --> 00:05:48.199 And so we have the record here that the first 00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:50.939 year of Belshazzar is the time that Daniel received 00:05:50.939 --> 00:05:53.620 this particular vision, this revelation from 00:05:53.620 --> 00:06:00.579 God. And so the date is 553 B .C. Now, this vision 00:06:00.579 --> 00:06:03.360 really falls easily into three parts, and that's 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:05.399 the way I want to approach it tonight as we think 00:06:05.399 --> 00:06:09.959 about four beasts and a future kingdom. The first 00:06:09.959 --> 00:06:12.939 part of the vision is the beasts from the sea, 00:06:13.259 --> 00:06:17.620 found in verses 1 through 8. The general scene 00:06:17.620 --> 00:06:20.439 is described for us in verse 2. Daniel said, 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:25.379 I was looking in my vision by night, and behold 00:06:25.379 --> 00:06:27.579 the four winds of heaven were stirring up the 00:06:27.579 --> 00:06:31.540 great sea. And four great beasts were coming 00:06:31.540 --> 00:06:36.180 up from the sea, different from one another." 00:06:36.180 --> 00:06:40.379 He mentions here four winds of heaven. The word 00:06:40.379 --> 00:06:44.379 winds can also read spirits. So there are some 00:06:44.379 --> 00:06:46.939 Bible commentators who take this to understand 00:06:46.939 --> 00:06:51.899 that these were either angels that God unleashed 00:06:51.899 --> 00:06:55.339 to stir up people, or that these were demons 00:06:55.339 --> 00:06:58.240 that were at work. There are others who take 00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:02.759 the concept of winds in a more symbolic way, 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:06.120 as representing simply God working in history. 00:07:07.339 --> 00:07:10.240 We do find the same term used, it would seem, 00:07:10.279 --> 00:07:14.860 of angels in Jeremiah 49 and 36, and a similar 00:07:14.860 --> 00:07:17.639 phrase is used in Zechariah chapter 6 and verse 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:21.079 5. At least we can say this with confidence here, 00:07:21.100 --> 00:07:23.779 that God was allowing certain forces to play 00:07:23.779 --> 00:07:28.079 upon the nations. The great sea that is mentioned, 00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:33.060 if taken literally, is the sea of the Mediterranean 00:07:33.060 --> 00:07:38.420 Sea. And Daniel sees this great body of water 00:07:38.420 --> 00:07:42.019 whipped up. But the Mediterranean Sea and the 00:07:42.019 --> 00:07:47.040 idea, the concept of the sea, is used also symbolically 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:49.439 in scriptures to speak of the nations of the 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:55.040 world, especially Gentile nations. And so what 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:58.579 is probably in view here, Daniel is seeing the 00:07:58.579 --> 00:08:03.500 Gentile nations of the world in turmoil. Humanity 00:08:03.500 --> 00:08:06.879 is in turbulence. There is upheaval and distress 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:10.920 among the nations. And in the midst of all of 00:08:10.920 --> 00:08:14.079 that, he sees four beasts that come up out of 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:18.000 the sea. Now remember, these beasts are symbolic. 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:23.069 They represent something. The first beast is 00:08:23.069 --> 00:08:25.889 described to us as like a lion. He had the wings 00:08:25.889 --> 00:08:29.290 of an eagle in verse 4. He says, I kept looking 00:08:29.290 --> 00:08:32.409 until its wings were plucked and it was lifted 00:08:32.409 --> 00:08:34.850 up from the ground and made to stand on two feet 00:08:34.850 --> 00:08:38.970 like a man. A human mind also was given to it. 00:08:39.730 --> 00:08:43.769 And so we have this creature with a lion like 00:08:43.769 --> 00:08:49.600 creature with wings of an eagle. A lion has throughout 00:08:49.600 --> 00:08:53.840 human history stood for royalty. Wings would 00:08:53.840 --> 00:08:57.639 speak of swiftness or of speed. And so we see 00:08:57.639 --> 00:09:02.799 here a personage of royalty who is noted for 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:06.559 speed and for his strength. But then something 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:09.240 strange happens. The wings are taken away from 00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:11.419 it and it stands up like a human being and it 00:09:11.419 --> 00:09:15.129 says a human mind is given to it. Now although 00:09:15.129 --> 00:09:17.950 Daniel does not identify for us here what the 00:09:17.950 --> 00:09:20.629 lion represents, we know from comparing chapter 00:09:20.629 --> 00:09:23.870 2 where a parallel vision is given, there you 00:09:23.870 --> 00:09:26.009 recall it was a dream given to Nebuchadnezzar 00:09:26.009 --> 00:09:29.769 and he saw this great statue. We know that this 00:09:29.769 --> 00:09:35.330 lion represents Babylon and especially King Nebuchadnezzar. 00:09:36.450 --> 00:09:39.909 And when it speaks about his wings being plucked 00:09:39.909 --> 00:09:42.870 and a human mind being given to this beast, It 00:09:42.870 --> 00:09:47.490 may have to do with Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation 00:09:47.490 --> 00:09:50.769 before God when God caused him to become insane 00:09:50.769 --> 00:09:54.049 for those seven years. And as a result of that, 00:09:54.549 --> 00:10:01.289 he humbled himself before God and perhaps, and 00:10:01.289 --> 00:10:05.769 I like to think did, come to faith, genuine faith 00:10:05.769 --> 00:10:08.149 in the true God, the God of Daniel, the God of 00:10:08.149 --> 00:10:12.279 Israel. Now following the lion, there came a 00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:17.639 bear out of the sea. And it was raised up on 00:10:17.639 --> 00:10:20.919 one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between 00:10:20.919 --> 00:10:25.120 its teeth. And thus they said to it, Arise, devour 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:29.700 much meat. And so now we have a successor kingdom. 00:10:30.860 --> 00:10:33.820 This is identified, not in this particular chapter, 00:10:33.940 --> 00:10:35.940 but by comparing other scriptures, especially 00:10:35.940 --> 00:10:40.360 Daniel chapter 2. This is identified as Mediapersia. 00:10:41.700 --> 00:10:45.100 The union between those two peoples was not an 00:10:45.100 --> 00:10:48.820 equal one. The Persians were stronger, thus this 00:10:48.820 --> 00:10:52.460 bear is seen as not being balanced. It is off 00:10:52.460 --> 00:10:57.299 -balance. A bear is known for its strength. Unlike 00:10:57.299 --> 00:11:01.259 a lion, which is noted for speed, a bear is more 00:11:01.259 --> 00:11:04.379 lumbering. It is nonetheless very ferocious. 00:11:04.840 --> 00:11:07.639 It is an animal that conducts itself with less 00:11:07.639 --> 00:11:12.799 grace than does a lion. And so all of this symbolically 00:11:12.799 --> 00:11:16.700 represents the kind of a nation that the Medes 00:11:16.700 --> 00:11:21.120 and the Persians developed. It was a nation that 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:25.679 was very ferocious and it conquered widely. When 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:28.100 it says here, rise and devour much meat, the 00:11:28.100 --> 00:11:32.080 idea is that as a nation it expanded and took 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:35.840 in other peoples. and did so very cruelly, I 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:39.440 might say. Following the bear there is a leopard 00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:44.019 that comes out of the sea. It says in verse 6 00:11:44.019 --> 00:11:47.139 that it had on its back four wings of a bird. 00:11:47.879 --> 00:11:51.139 The beast also had four heads and dominion was 00:11:51.139 --> 00:11:54.279 given to it. And once more we know from comparing 00:11:54.279 --> 00:11:58.759 scriptures that this beast represents Greece. 00:11:59.370 --> 00:12:02.269 which was the major Gentile power in that part 00:12:02.269 --> 00:12:04.690 of the world that followed the Medes and the 00:12:04.690 --> 00:12:10.549 Persians, it conquered Persia. The wings speak 00:12:10.549 --> 00:12:14.950 again of swiftness and of course a leopard is 00:12:14.950 --> 00:12:19.529 known for its swiftness as well and if you look 00:12:19.529 --> 00:12:22.169 at history you find that the swiftness speaks 00:12:22.169 --> 00:12:25.490 of Alexander the Great, the leader of Greece 00:12:25.490 --> 00:12:29.809 who with amazing speed for his day. conquered 00:12:29.809 --> 00:12:31.909 all of the known world, and it's said when he 00:12:31.909 --> 00:12:35.850 was 33 years of age, he sat down and wept because 00:12:35.850 --> 00:12:40.250 there was no more world to conquer. Now the four 00:12:40.250 --> 00:12:43.289 heads will be explained as we get into more about 00:12:43.289 --> 00:12:46.370 Greece, especially in chapter 8, and so I'm going 00:12:46.370 --> 00:12:49.710 to leave that, but the four heads do have a significance. 00:12:51.110 --> 00:12:53.090 And then there's a fourth beast, and this is 00:12:53.090 --> 00:12:55.549 the one that seems to capture Daniel's attention. 00:12:56.029 --> 00:12:58.169 He says, I kept looking in the night visions, 00:12:58.289 --> 00:13:00.470 and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible 00:13:00.470 --> 00:13:04.149 and extremely strong, and it had large iron teeth, 00:13:04.250 --> 00:13:06.669 and devoured and crushed and trampled down the 00:13:06.669 --> 00:13:09.090 remainder with its feet, and it was different 00:13:09.090 --> 00:13:12.309 from all the beasts that were before it, and 00:13:12.309 --> 00:13:16.309 it had ten horns. While I was contemplating the 00:13:16.309 --> 00:13:19.450 horns, behold another horn, a little one, came 00:13:19.450 --> 00:13:23.210 up among them, and three of the first horns were 00:13:23.210 --> 00:13:27.320 pulled out by the roots before it. That sounds 00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:29.700 rather violent, but actually the language is 00:13:29.700 --> 00:13:33.779 not that violent. It really means that this little 00:13:33.779 --> 00:13:37.519 horn came up and sort of pushed its way in, causing 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:40.460 the others, by that force of action, the natural 00:13:40.460 --> 00:13:44.779 force of its own growth, to be uprooted. And 00:13:44.779 --> 00:13:47.559 it says, behold, this horn possessed eyes like 00:13:47.559 --> 00:13:51.659 the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great 00:13:51.659 --> 00:13:55.450 boasts. And so we have a dreadful, terrifying, 00:13:55.629 --> 00:13:58.330 strong beast that is not further described to 00:13:58.330 --> 00:14:03.049 us. Probably this beast incorporated elements 00:14:03.049 --> 00:14:07.190 of the first three beasts. Because each of these 00:14:07.190 --> 00:14:10.070 kingdoms to some degree incorporated aspects 00:14:10.070 --> 00:14:14.909 of its predecessor. And so this fourth and final 00:14:14.909 --> 00:14:19.450 empire, which we know now to be Rome, incorporated 00:14:19.450 --> 00:14:23.440 certain aspects of Babylon, Mediapersia, and 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:27.820 of Greece in itself. The most prominent feature 00:14:27.820 --> 00:14:32.539 in this particular vision is the appearance of 00:14:32.539 --> 00:14:36.200 the ten horns. And then that one little horn, 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:40.559 as it is described, that uproots three, leaving 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:46.080 a remainder of eight altogether. Now, you can 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:49.179 go to Revelation chapter 13 sometime on your 00:14:49.179 --> 00:14:51.820 own. And you will see another vision recorded 00:14:51.820 --> 00:14:54.960 with a beast coming out of the sea which relates 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:58.519 to this. It is there the Apostle John receiving 00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:02.240 a vision as he was on the Isle of Patmos. And 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:06.259 in his vision he sees more identification and 00:15:06.259 --> 00:15:09.759 information regarding this little horn. This 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:14.340 little horn is the personage that we generally 00:15:14.340 --> 00:15:18.190 call the Antichrist. who will appear in the last 00:15:18.190 --> 00:15:21.549 days. We'll get into that a little more in a 00:15:21.549 --> 00:15:24.470 few moments. And so we have the first part of 00:15:24.470 --> 00:15:28.409 this vision, the sea raging and out of that sea 00:15:28.409 --> 00:15:31.549 then coming successively, not all at the same 00:15:31.549 --> 00:15:35.210 time, but successively, these four beasts that 00:15:35.210 --> 00:15:39.049 represent to us empires, Gentile empires. Now 00:15:39.049 --> 00:15:42.549 it's interesting to consider the contrast between 00:15:42.549 --> 00:15:46.759 this explanation of the four empires and the 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:50.039 one in chapter 2. In chapter 2 you notice that 00:15:50.039 --> 00:15:54.460 there is an emphasis upon the parts fitting together. 00:15:54.500 --> 00:15:57.799 There's the head, then there's the shoulders 00:15:57.799 --> 00:16:01.019 and the stomach and the thighs and the legs and 00:16:01.019 --> 00:16:04.559 it's all a part of the same thing. But here you 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:08.159 see the emphasis on the diversity of the four 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:15.019 empires. Also you find in the statue vision the 00:16:15.019 --> 00:16:18.740 intrinsic value of these empires given. There's 00:16:18.740 --> 00:16:23.200 gold, there's silver, bronze, and iron, and then 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:27.200 iron mixed with clay, a decreasing value, but 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:30.919 nonetheless there is a value given to them. So 00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:35.320 chapter two is often said to be the view of these 00:16:35.320 --> 00:16:39.659 empires from man's perspective, because man looks 00:16:39.659 --> 00:16:43.200 at these empires and sees value in them. Whereas 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:46.100 this vision gives a view of these empires from 00:16:46.100 --> 00:16:51.919 God's perspective, he sees them as beasts. And 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:54.840 that was truly the actual nature. We look upon 00:16:54.840 --> 00:16:57.720 our nation, for example, as having intrinsic 00:16:57.720 --> 00:17:03.019 value. But I wonder how the holy God of heaven 00:17:03.019 --> 00:17:06.480 looks upon this nation. I would submit to you 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:08.799 that he sees our nation as a beastly nation. 00:17:09.819 --> 00:17:15.759 because of its immorality, its blasphemy, its 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:19.339 lack of respect for life. And so I think you 00:17:19.339 --> 00:17:21.799 understand that from man's perspective, nations 00:17:21.799 --> 00:17:25.759 have one set of values. From God's perspective, 00:17:26.180 --> 00:17:29.019 nations are seen entirely differently. And God 00:17:29.019 --> 00:17:34.519 sees them, all Gentile nations, as beasts. And 00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:36.859 the most ferocious one is this last one. We'll 00:17:36.859 --> 00:17:39.480 pick that up in a moment, but the vision goes 00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:43.420 on to a second part now. In chapter 7 verses 00:17:43.420 --> 00:17:47.220 9 through 14, he talks about the thrones in the 00:17:47.220 --> 00:17:50.859 heavens. There's a courtroom scene here where 00:17:50.859 --> 00:17:53.539 judgment is dispensed in verses 9 through 12. 00:17:53.740 --> 00:17:56.960 The thrones are arranged, and it says the ancient 00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:01.900 of days took his seats. The Ancient of Days is 00:18:01.900 --> 00:18:04.740 the judge in this scene. He is the sovereign 00:18:04.740 --> 00:18:10.259 one. He is described in terms like this. His 00:18:10.259 --> 00:18:14.519 vesture was like white snow, the hair of his 00:18:14.519 --> 00:18:19.220 head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with 00:18:19.220 --> 00:18:23.460 flames, its wheels were a burning fire. And so 00:18:23.460 --> 00:18:27.720 this is not a typical kind of throne. And there 00:18:27.720 --> 00:18:31.430 are some wheels. in connection with this throne 00:18:31.430 --> 00:18:35.410 someway. Now when you think of wheels in a vision, 00:18:35.950 --> 00:18:39.710 you undoubtedly think of Ezekiel, who had a very 00:18:39.710 --> 00:18:44.809 similar vision. What do all of these things symbolize? 00:18:44.869 --> 00:18:47.230 Well, it's telling us something about God, God's 00:18:47.230 --> 00:18:53.309 eternity, God's justice, God's holiness, are 00:18:53.309 --> 00:18:56.609 all represented here by these flames and the 00:18:56.609 --> 00:19:00.119 burning and the whiteness. the pure wool, and 00:19:00.119 --> 00:19:03.920 so on. Now it says that there was a river of 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:08.000 fire flowing and coming out from before him, 00:19:08.819 --> 00:19:11.700 and thousands upon thousands were attending him, 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:14.940 and myriads upon myriads were standing before 00:19:14.940 --> 00:19:18.779 him. And so this courtroom is not empty. There 00:19:18.779 --> 00:19:22.079 are thrones. The judge, who is called the Ancient 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:25.299 of Days, comes in, takes his seat, and in the 00:19:25.299 --> 00:19:28.660 courtroom there are spectators. numbered here 00:19:28.660 --> 00:19:31.660 in the thousands upon the thousands and myriads 00:19:31.660 --> 00:19:35.940 of myriads, these are undoubtedly angelic creatures 00:19:35.940 --> 00:19:40.779 that are seen. And it says the court sat, which 00:19:40.779 --> 00:19:44.559 means that the court was called into session. 00:19:45.940 --> 00:19:48.640 The business at hand was about to be taken care 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:54.369 of. It says the books were opened. are books 00:19:54.369 --> 00:19:59.009 of which God records the deeds of people and 00:19:59.009 --> 00:20:02.569 of nations. And so judgment is about to take 00:20:02.569 --> 00:20:06.089 place based upon the infallible record of the 00:20:06.089 --> 00:20:10.430 Holy God. And judgment is dealt to the beasts 00:20:10.430 --> 00:20:13.509 and to the little horn. It says, I kept looking 00:20:13.509 --> 00:20:17.069 because of the sound of the boastful words which 00:20:17.069 --> 00:20:20.430 the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the 00:20:20.430 --> 00:20:24.440 beast was slain. and its body was destroyed and 00:20:24.440 --> 00:20:27.779 given to the burning fire. And so judgment is 00:20:27.779 --> 00:20:31.259 dealt to this fourth beast. It says, as for the 00:20:31.259 --> 00:20:33.400 rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken 00:20:33.400 --> 00:20:36.599 away, but an extension of life was granted to 00:20:36.599 --> 00:20:39.539 them for an appointed period of time. That last 00:20:39.539 --> 00:20:42.900 phrase probably means that there was an extension 00:20:42.900 --> 00:20:47.119 of the lives of those first three beasts in the 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:50.519 fourth one. as it incorporated elements of those 00:20:50.519 --> 00:20:54.440 previous beasts. But in the end, all of them 00:20:54.440 --> 00:20:59.839 are destroyed, never again to rise. And so we 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:03.119 have the courtroom scene, which then leads us 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:07.119 to a scene of the second coming of Christ. Daniel 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:10.119 would not have known it this way, you understand, 00:21:10.140 --> 00:21:13.180 but this is what he saw. I kept looking in the 00:21:13.180 --> 00:21:15.359 night visions. By the way, notice he says, I 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:17.680 kept looking, I kept looking. That phrase is 00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:21.319 used more than ten times in this chapter. So 00:21:21.319 --> 00:21:24.380 Daniel is telling us what he saw. I kept looking 00:21:24.380 --> 00:21:27.299 in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds 00:21:27.299 --> 00:21:31.500 of heaven, one like a son of man was coming. 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:34.740 Notice that this is in contrast to the beasts. 00:21:36.140 --> 00:21:40.309 Here's one who is humanity. Not mere humanity 00:21:40.309 --> 00:21:43.509 we know but one who is truly man the son of man 00:21:43.509 --> 00:21:46.769 He was coming and he came up to the ancient of 00:21:46.769 --> 00:21:50.089 days and was presented before him And so now 00:21:50.089 --> 00:21:53.289 we understand there are two personages here the 00:21:53.289 --> 00:21:56.829 first one the ancient of days is a Theophany 00:21:56.829 --> 00:22:01.809 it is an appearance of God the father In this 00:22:01.809 --> 00:22:04.829 vision to Daniel it is still true that no man 00:22:04.829 --> 00:22:08.619 has seen God at any time As John tells us in 00:22:08.619 --> 00:22:12.660 John 1, that is, we have never seen God in his 00:22:12.660 --> 00:22:15.900 essence, but God has appeared, such as in this 00:22:15.900 --> 00:22:18.059 vision. And God the Father is the one who is 00:22:18.059 --> 00:22:21.519 seen in these vestures earlier described with 00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:24.559 the fire coming from his throne. And now the 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:27.539 Son of Man, the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus 00:22:27.539 --> 00:22:30.819 Christ, comes up and is presented to him. And 00:22:30.819 --> 00:22:35.440 to him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. 00:22:35.740 --> 00:22:38.619 that all the peoples, nations, and men of every 00:22:38.619 --> 00:22:42.880 language might serve him. His dominion is an 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:45.660 everlasting dominion which will not pass away, 00:22:46.180 --> 00:22:48.819 and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. 00:22:49.339 --> 00:22:52.619 Now our friends who are all millennialists, you 00:22:52.619 --> 00:22:55.319 say, what are they? Well, those are people who 00:22:55.319 --> 00:22:58.900 do not believe in a literal earthly reign of 00:22:58.900 --> 00:23:02.579 Jesus Christ. Our friends who are all millennialists, 00:23:02.599 --> 00:23:05.480 they believe in no millennium. look at this and 00:23:05.480 --> 00:23:08.059 they say, well, you know, this refers to Christ's 00:23:08.059 --> 00:23:10.539 reign in the hearts of people when they get saved. 00:23:11.680 --> 00:23:13.619 But friends, if you look at this and you intend 00:23:13.619 --> 00:23:17.960 to interpret the Bible literally, that means 00:23:17.960 --> 00:23:20.440 that when there are symbols, you seek to interpret 00:23:20.440 --> 00:23:23.839 the symbols as they should be. But when you approach 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:26.700 the Bible literally, you take it for what it 00:23:26.700 --> 00:23:29.839 says, there is no way to read into this a spiritual 00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:32.799 kingdom in the hearts of men. He talks about 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:35.240 peoples of nations in every language. They will 00:23:35.240 --> 00:23:38.500 serve him, an everlasting dominion, a kingdom. 00:23:39.259 --> 00:23:42.319 He is talking here about an earthly, literal 00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:47.839 kingdom that will be given to Jesus Christ. Its 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:50.460 initial period is a thousand years. That's why 00:23:50.460 --> 00:23:54.039 we call it the millennium. But that's not the 00:23:54.039 --> 00:23:56.630 end of it. That's just the first period. There 00:23:56.630 --> 00:23:59.269 are some things that take place then that sort 00:23:59.269 --> 00:24:03.009 of separate out the first thousand years. But 00:24:03.009 --> 00:24:06.670 then his kingdom goes on forever and forever. 00:24:08.369 --> 00:24:11.490 And so he has quite a vision here of the thrones 00:24:11.490 --> 00:24:14.650 and the heavens. He sees the judge and then he 00:24:14.650 --> 00:24:17.589 sees the son of man coming with the clouds of 00:24:17.589 --> 00:24:20.289 heaven entering into the courtroom and receiving 00:24:20.289 --> 00:24:22.910 from the one on the throne the right to rule 00:24:22.910 --> 00:24:28.549 on the earth. Well, this upsets Daniel, what 00:24:28.549 --> 00:24:32.170 he sees. He is distressed by it. He says, the 00:24:32.170 --> 00:24:35.230 visions in my mind kept alarming me. And so now 00:24:35.230 --> 00:24:38.250 we come to the final part of the chapter, the 00:24:38.250 --> 00:24:42.089 prophecy of the last days. Daniel is distressed 00:24:42.089 --> 00:24:46.029 and alarmed and so he asks the angel for the 00:24:46.029 --> 00:24:50.609 certainty of the interpretation. Now Daniel seems 00:24:50.609 --> 00:24:54.769 to already understand what is taking place. But 00:24:54.769 --> 00:24:58.710 he wants to nail it down. And so he asks an angel 00:24:58.710 --> 00:25:02.410 to tell him exactly, for sure, what it means. 00:25:03.269 --> 00:25:11.529 And the angel does. Verse 17. We have an overview 00:25:11.529 --> 00:25:14.390 in these next two verses. These great beasts, 00:25:14.470 --> 00:25:18.089 says the angel, which are four in number, are 00:25:18.089 --> 00:25:22.819 four kings who will arise from the earth. Now 00:25:22.819 --> 00:25:25.279 even though it says kings here, they cannot be 00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:28.220 separated from their kingdom. The point is, it's 00:25:28.220 --> 00:25:30.640 talking about leaders and the empires over which 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:33.779 they rule. But the saints of the highest one 00:25:33.779 --> 00:25:36.299 will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom 00:25:36.299 --> 00:25:41.200 forever for all ages to come. And so that's the 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:44.500 overview. The angel says, Daniel, what you have 00:25:44.500 --> 00:25:46.819 seen are four kingdoms that will come upon the 00:25:46.819 --> 00:25:51.660 earth and four kings. But ultimately it is the 00:25:51.660 --> 00:25:56.000 saints of the highest one who will receive the 00:25:56.000 --> 00:26:00.079 kingdom and possess it forever, for all the ages 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:04.180 to come. Who are these saints of the most high? 00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:11.700 Well, we can understand the term saints being 00:26:11.700 --> 00:26:13.940 used in the Bible in a number of different ways. 00:26:14.519 --> 00:26:16.720 I think the best way to understand it here is 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:20.869 to see it as representing those who are believers 00:26:20.869 --> 00:26:23.750 on the earth at that time. They will be, of course, 00:26:24.009 --> 00:26:27.490 Jews in the tribulation period as well as multitudes 00:26:27.490 --> 00:26:30.890 of Gentiles. But there is another sense in which 00:26:30.890 --> 00:26:34.029 it includes all believers because the Bible promises 00:26:34.029 --> 00:26:37.410 us, we who are part of the church, who will be 00:26:37.410 --> 00:26:40.609 taken out by the rapture before the tribulation 00:26:40.609 --> 00:26:44.650 and who will come back with Christ at His second 00:26:44.650 --> 00:26:47.890 coming. It promises us that we will reign with 00:26:47.890 --> 00:26:51.109 Jesus Christ. And so I think that we can take 00:26:51.109 --> 00:26:56.430 the saints here not only in a narrow sense, that 00:26:56.430 --> 00:27:00.369 is the Jewish and Gentile believers who are alive 00:27:00.369 --> 00:27:03.190 on the earth at that time, but in its broadest 00:27:03.190 --> 00:27:05.349 sense, all of the children of God, those who 00:27:05.349 --> 00:27:09.750 have believed. Now beginning in verse 19 and 00:27:09.750 --> 00:27:12.799 going through verse 26, There are some additional 00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:16.880 specifics given regarding the fourth beast. There's 00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:21.000 a review of the vision in verses 19 to 22 with 00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:25.059 just a slight addition to the vision. And then 00:27:25.059 --> 00:27:26.700 there's an interpretation, and that's what I 00:27:26.700 --> 00:27:30.339 want to get to, verse 23. He says the fourth 00:27:30.339 --> 00:27:34.579 beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth which 00:27:34.579 --> 00:27:36.559 will be different from all the other kingdoms. 00:27:37.019 --> 00:27:39.940 And it will devour the whole earth and tread 00:27:39.940 --> 00:27:44.079 it down and crush it. As for the ten horns out 00:27:44.079 --> 00:27:47.680 of this kingdom, ten kings will arise, and another 00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:50.980 will arise after them. And he will be different 00:27:50.980 --> 00:27:53.940 from the previous ones and will subdue three 00:27:53.940 --> 00:27:57.680 kings. And he will speak out against the most 00:27:57.680 --> 00:28:01.599 high. Who is the he? Well, it is the little horn, 00:28:01.700 --> 00:28:05.819 the one king who arises after the ten. He will 00:28:05.819 --> 00:28:08.599 speak out against the most high and wear down 00:28:08.599 --> 00:28:12.569 the saints of the highest one. And he will intend 00:28:12.569 --> 00:28:16.410 to make alterations in times and in law. And 00:28:16.410 --> 00:28:19.670 they will be given into his hand, they here, 00:28:19.890 --> 00:28:24.970 referring probably to the saints, they will be 00:28:24.970 --> 00:28:28.390 given into his hand for a time, times, and half 00:28:28.390 --> 00:28:31.970 a time. But the court will sit for judgment, 00:28:32.049 --> 00:28:34.930 and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated, 00:28:35.230 --> 00:28:38.089 and destroyed forever." Well let's just stop 00:28:38.089 --> 00:28:40.509 there at this point. There are several items 00:28:40.509 --> 00:28:42.670 that we want to notice and notice as quickly 00:28:42.670 --> 00:28:45.710 as we can. The first is that there is a fourth 00:28:45.710 --> 00:28:48.430 kingdom that will come. We have said before that 00:28:48.430 --> 00:28:52.809 this is Rome. Rome which had the widest rule 00:28:52.809 --> 00:28:57.009 of any of the empires that are described. Rome 00:28:57.009 --> 00:29:02.089 which in biblical prophecy is seen in two separate 00:29:02.089 --> 00:29:08.160 periods of time. It is seen first as immediately 00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:13.000 succeeding Greece and reigning for hundreds of 00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:16.200 years. In fact, some commentators point out that 00:29:16.200 --> 00:29:22.119 actually parts of Rome ruled until the 15th century, 00:29:23.259 --> 00:29:25.839 the eastern part of it, the Byzantine Empire. 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:31.180 And so for centuries upon centuries, Rome existed. 00:29:31.220 --> 00:29:34.660 It was a power upon the earth. Rome was the power 00:29:34.660 --> 00:29:37.259 in Jesus' day when he was born. There was a Caesar, 00:29:37.259 --> 00:29:44.380 of course, in Rome. And it was a fierce, militaristic 00:29:44.380 --> 00:29:50.339 empire. It was never conquered, as has been pointed 00:29:50.339 --> 00:29:54.019 out before. It collapsed, it disintegrated from 00:29:54.019 --> 00:29:57.779 within, basically. And although Rome was eventually 00:29:57.779 --> 00:30:01.880 conquered in the 5th century, There was never 00:30:01.880 --> 00:30:05.839 an empire that replaced it. Things just sort 00:30:05.839 --> 00:30:11.460 of disintegrated governmentally. The Bible indicates, 00:30:11.480 --> 00:30:16.759 I believe, that there is yet a future aspect 00:30:16.759 --> 00:30:19.980 to the Roman Empire. And what we see here is 00:30:19.980 --> 00:30:24.839 that future aspect. Rome was never described 00:30:24.839 --> 00:30:30.150 in those ancient days as ten kings. There was 00:30:30.150 --> 00:30:36.269 never another king that rose up and replaced 00:30:36.269 --> 00:30:40.329 three of them, became then the eighth and obviously 00:30:40.329 --> 00:30:43.970 the leading one of the kings of Rome. That never 00:30:43.970 --> 00:30:47.450 happened historically. I believe it is yet remaining 00:30:47.450 --> 00:30:50.869 for a future time. When we think of the Roman 00:30:50.869 --> 00:30:55.799 Empire, we think of Europe. And I believe that 00:30:55.799 --> 00:31:01.539 what we are seeing today in Europe may well be 00:31:01.539 --> 00:31:06.259 the stirring of that continent, which will result 00:31:06.259 --> 00:31:11.700 in the formation of what Daniel saw in this vision. 00:31:14.799 --> 00:31:17.000 Right now, the European common market is more 00:31:17.000 --> 00:31:20.299 than ten nations, but everything is in the fruit 00:31:20.299 --> 00:31:22.359 basket that's being tipped over in Europe right 00:31:22.359 --> 00:31:25.869 now. The two Germanys are talking about reunification. 00:31:26.630 --> 00:31:29.710 There may be other countries that will merge 00:31:29.710 --> 00:31:33.930 or perhaps split. There's a great deal of racial 00:31:33.930 --> 00:31:37.950 and ethnic division and conflict even in some 00:31:37.950 --> 00:31:41.130 of the political countries. For example, Czechoslovakia 00:31:41.130 --> 00:31:45.609 with its three distinct sections. And so I believe 00:31:45.609 --> 00:31:47.910 that we're going to see in Europe develop over 00:31:47.910 --> 00:31:54.420 the next months and years a change, so that there 00:31:54.420 --> 00:31:57.500 will eventually form a confederation of nations 00:31:57.500 --> 00:32:03.819 that will number ten. And that will be a revival 00:32:03.819 --> 00:32:08.599 of the ancient Roman Empire in the form that 00:32:08.599 --> 00:32:13.079 Daniel predicted. And about the time these ten 00:32:13.079 --> 00:32:15.900 kingdoms get together, there is going to arise 00:32:15.900 --> 00:32:21.039 another king. And as a result of his emergence 00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:26.859 on the scene of the world, this king, who will 00:32:26.859 --> 00:32:31.220 become the Antichrist, will in some way replace 00:32:31.220 --> 00:32:36.240 three of the kings. We're not told how that will 00:32:36.240 --> 00:32:40.279 happen. But by virtue of his rising up to power, 00:32:40.579 --> 00:32:43.519 three kings will be replaced. so that there will 00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:46.680 be essentially eight kings left with Antichrist, 00:32:46.779 --> 00:32:49.259 the eighth, being the most powerful, the most 00:32:49.259 --> 00:32:56.559 influential. It is said that he will speak against 00:32:56.559 --> 00:33:00.920 God. That preposition literally says he will 00:33:00.920 --> 00:33:05.299 speak at the side of God. The picture is that 00:33:05.299 --> 00:33:08.880 he will present himself as being God's equal. 00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:16.319 Thus he will he will pretend to be deity and 00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:18.900 will come to the point of demanding worship. 00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:23.720 Assisting him in that will be the false prophet 00:33:23.720 --> 00:33:26.299 who is described again in Revelation chapter 00:33:26.299 --> 00:33:30.539 13 as Antichrist's partner. Because Antichrist, 00:33:30.680 --> 00:33:34.660 this political figure who arises out of the Gentile 00:33:34.660 --> 00:33:39.099 world, this Antichrist will clothe himself with 00:33:39.099 --> 00:33:46.680 the garments Get this, of apostate Christendom, 00:33:48.259 --> 00:33:50.680 which is described for us in Revelation chapter 00:33:50.680 --> 00:33:55.119 18. There will be a wedding of the political 00:33:55.119 --> 00:33:58.079 power of Antichrist and the religious power of 00:33:58.079 --> 00:34:02.339 the apostate church. And the apostate church 00:34:02.339 --> 00:34:08.760 will help the Antichrist rise to power. before 00:34:08.760 --> 00:34:13.039 Antichrist then turns on the church and persecutes 00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:20.400 and destroys it, its power. It is said that this 00:34:20.400 --> 00:34:24.300 king will wage war with the saints in verse 21. 00:34:24.360 --> 00:34:29.300 He will wear them down and so he will turn upon 00:34:29.300 --> 00:34:32.559 the true people of God and will persecute them. 00:34:32.559 --> 00:34:36.380 That is described in Revelation chapter 12 in 00:34:36.380 --> 00:34:40.780 some detail. Zechariah seems to indicate that 00:34:40.780 --> 00:34:44.380 two -thirds of the Jews in that period of time 00:34:44.380 --> 00:34:49.099 will be killed. I say it with sorrow in my heart, 00:34:50.260 --> 00:34:52.800 but the worst days for the Jewish people are 00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:58.780 yet ahead. Hitler and the Holocaust was only 00:34:58.780 --> 00:35:02.219 a preview, I am sorry to say, of what Antichrist 00:35:02.219 --> 00:35:06.619 will do to the Jewish people. Two -thirds of 00:35:06.619 --> 00:35:08.880 them will be wiped out in the tribulation period, 00:35:09.099 --> 00:35:12.719 as will many Gentiles who will not follow Antichrist, 00:35:12.739 --> 00:35:16.400 who will not receive his mark. Zechariah also 00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:18.639 seems to indicate that the city of Jerusalem, 00:35:19.159 --> 00:35:21.800 now under Jewish control, will eventually be 00:35:21.800 --> 00:35:28.800 captured by Gentile forces. Antichrist will put 00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:33.170 into effect certain economic policies. that will 00:35:33.170 --> 00:35:36.489 create economic hardship, especially for those 00:35:36.489 --> 00:35:40.510 who are believers in the true God. Daniel tells 00:35:40.510 --> 00:35:43.550 us that he will attempt to change both natural 00:35:43.550 --> 00:35:47.750 and moral laws. In other words, he will try to 00:35:47.750 --> 00:35:53.550 replace any vestige of the Judeo -Christian heritage 00:35:53.550 --> 00:35:58.670 of the Western nations. An example of this might 00:35:58.670 --> 00:36:00.829 be pointed to in what happened in the French 00:36:00.829 --> 00:36:04.360 Revolution. when the leaders then, a couple of 00:36:04.360 --> 00:36:07.519 hundred years ago, attempted to create a ten 00:36:07.519 --> 00:36:10.440 -day work week rather than the seven -day work 00:36:10.440 --> 00:36:14.599 week. It did not succeed. You see, there was 00:36:14.599 --> 00:36:18.480 an attempt to change the very timing that men 00:36:18.480 --> 00:36:22.099 have lived by through these years, since the 00:36:22.099 --> 00:36:23.780 very beginning of time, as a matter of fact, 00:36:23.800 --> 00:36:26.360 when God ordered seven days and one day of rest. 00:36:27.199 --> 00:36:29.719 It's that sort of thing that Antichrist will 00:36:29.719 --> 00:36:32.750 attempt. but he likewise will not ultimately 00:36:32.750 --> 00:36:37.909 succeed. Now the scriptures indicate that things 00:36:37.909 --> 00:36:41.429 will go his way. It doesn't say this in Daniel, 00:36:41.469 --> 00:36:43.409 but we learn from other portions of scripture 00:36:43.409 --> 00:36:47.829 that for three and a half years this fellow will 00:36:47.829 --> 00:36:51.710 appear to be the nicest guy who's ever been born 00:36:51.710 --> 00:36:55.130 in the face of the earth. He will be charismatic, 00:36:55.389 --> 00:36:57.989 he will be intelligent, he will be brilliant. 00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:02.900 He will be a great orator. He will be a military 00:37:02.900 --> 00:37:06.340 leader par excellence. He will be able to bring 00:37:06.340 --> 00:37:08.679 together political coalitions that have been 00:37:08.679 --> 00:37:13.599 impossible. He will be a gifted individual. All 00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:16.679 of this, of course, because he is empowered by 00:37:16.679 --> 00:37:20.539 Satan. But he himself will come off as the nicest 00:37:20.539 --> 00:37:23.880 guy, the kind of a guy you would want to have 00:37:23.880 --> 00:37:29.420 as your brother or your father. But then, in 00:37:29.420 --> 00:37:32.420 the midst of the tribulation period, after three 00:37:32.420 --> 00:37:35.039 and a half years, he will change entirely. And 00:37:35.039 --> 00:37:38.699 his true nature will be exposed. And that seems 00:37:38.699 --> 00:37:41.579 to be the period that is in view in verse 25, 00:37:41.659 --> 00:37:45.519 when it talks about a time, times, and half a 00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:48.980 time. It doesn't say whether that's a minute, 00:37:49.079 --> 00:37:53.719 an hour, a month, or a year. But as we compare 00:37:53.719 --> 00:37:56.539 Scripture with Scripture, it seems very clear 00:37:56.909 --> 00:38:00.550 When Daniel uses the term time, he's talking 00:38:00.550 --> 00:38:07.090 about one year. Times is two more years. So that's 00:38:07.090 --> 00:38:09.010 a total of three. Then he talks about half a 00:38:09.010 --> 00:38:12.429 time, which is half a year, which is exactly 00:38:12.429 --> 00:38:19.090 one half of the entire tribulation period. Well, 00:38:19.090 --> 00:38:22.429 we've said quite a bit here about Antichrist. 00:38:22.489 --> 00:38:25.369 The most important thing, however, is yet to 00:38:25.369 --> 00:38:29.320 come. And that is that Antichrist will be judged 00:38:29.320 --> 00:38:33.460 by Jesus Christ. He will not succeed, though 00:38:33.460 --> 00:38:36.519 he will be on the verge of success. Ultimately 00:38:36.519 --> 00:38:39.139 he will be judged. It says court will sit for 00:38:39.139 --> 00:38:42.420 judgment. His dominion will be taken away, annihilated 00:38:42.420 --> 00:38:45.139 and destroyed forever. In Revelation chapter 00:38:45.139 --> 00:38:49.780 20 we see that the beast, the Antichrist, and 00:38:49.780 --> 00:38:52.860 the false prophet, this religious leader, who 00:38:52.860 --> 00:38:56.019 charmed the apostate church into giving antichrist 00:38:56.019 --> 00:38:59.980 worship will both be cast alive into the lake 00:38:59.980 --> 00:39:03.639 of fire. They are the first two inhabitants of 00:39:03.639 --> 00:39:06.219 that eternal place of damnation and will be there 00:39:06.219 --> 00:39:09.519 alone for a thousand years before others then 00:39:09.519 --> 00:39:13.559 come to join them. But they are judged and put 00:39:13.559 --> 00:39:16.460 there for their eternal punishment. Then it says 00:39:16.460 --> 00:39:19.340 in verse 27, then the sovereignty, the dominion, 00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:21.679 and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the 00:39:21.679 --> 00:39:25.260 whole heaven will be given to the people of the 00:39:25.260 --> 00:39:28.639 saints of the highest one. His kingdom will be 00:39:28.639 --> 00:39:31.000 an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions 00:39:31.000 --> 00:39:34.920 will serve and obey him. And so the kingdom is 00:39:34.920 --> 00:39:38.440 then given to Jesus Christ and to those who are 00:39:38.440 --> 00:39:44.250 his, and they reign in him. And so Daniel gives 00:39:44.250 --> 00:39:48.909 us quite a broad, expansive vision as he records 00:39:48.909 --> 00:39:51.769 this seventh chapter of his book. It goes all 00:39:51.769 --> 00:39:54.230 the way back to when the times of the Gentiles 00:39:54.230 --> 00:39:58.369 began with Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. It takes 00:39:58.369 --> 00:40:01.130 us through successive kingdoms, through Rome. 00:40:01.449 --> 00:40:05.329 Daniel does not see the extensive age that we 00:40:05.329 --> 00:40:08.130 call the church age, the age of grace, that time 00:40:08.130 --> 00:40:11.170 in which we live now. That was not clear to him. 00:40:11.190 --> 00:40:14.039 That was not revealed to him. But he saw that 00:40:14.039 --> 00:40:17.760 fourth kingdom ultimately in the form of ten 00:40:17.760 --> 00:40:21.900 kings, ten nations, and the rising up of the 00:40:21.900 --> 00:40:24.820 Antichrist. He saw all of that. And then the 00:40:24.820 --> 00:40:27.519 destruction of Antichrist and that fourth kingdom 00:40:27.519 --> 00:40:30.460 and all the Gentile kingdoms before it all together, 00:40:30.980 --> 00:40:34.079 their destruction he sees, and the establishment 00:40:34.079 --> 00:40:38.980 of the kingdom of the Son of Man and the saints 00:40:38.980 --> 00:40:43.090 of the Most High. Now, Lord willing, next week 00:40:43.090 --> 00:40:45.349 in chapter 8, we're going to talk about another 00:40:45.349 --> 00:40:48.710 vision that Daniel had that fills us in on some 00:40:48.710 --> 00:40:52.929 details that are given to us rather in broad 00:40:52.929 --> 00:40:56.289 sweeps in chapter 7. But as we close, I just 00:40:56.289 --> 00:40:58.909 want to ask this question. Jesus Christ, friend, 00:40:59.250 --> 00:41:03.150 is going to reign. There is no question that 00:41:03.150 --> 00:41:05.789 the dominion will be given to him, but the question 00:41:05.789 --> 00:41:09.550 is this. Does Jesus Christ reign in your life 00:41:09.550 --> 00:41:14.940 tonight? Is He tonight your Lord and your Savior? 00:41:16.039 --> 00:41:18.500 You see, your well -being, not just for life, 00:41:18.599 --> 00:41:22.539 but for eternity, is at stake by your answer 00:41:22.539 --> 00:41:25.880 to that question. Make no mistake about it, one 00:41:25.880 --> 00:41:29.760 day Jesus Christ will return, just as every detail 00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:31.980 of this book has prophetically been fulfilled. 00:41:32.380 --> 00:41:36.539 So one day everything will come to pass. Every 00:41:36.539 --> 00:41:39.300 jot, every tittle, as Jesus said, will be fulfilled. 00:41:40.639 --> 00:41:44.300 There's no doubt about that. The question is, 00:41:44.300 --> 00:41:47.199 what is my relationship, what is your relationship 00:41:47.199 --> 00:41:51.980 to this eternal God and His Son, Jesus Christ, 00:41:52.000 --> 00:41:55.000 who will reign forever? And if He is not tonight 00:41:55.000 --> 00:41:58.159 reigning in your life, then don't go on living 00:41:58.159 --> 00:42:02.840 for what is soon to pass away. But live for Him. 00:42:02.920 --> 00:42:05.920 Give your heart. Give your life to Him. And let 00:42:05.920 --> 00:42:09.280 Him be the Lord and Savior of your life. Let's 00:42:09.280 --> 00:42:14.170 pray together. If tonight you sense a spiritual 00:42:14.170 --> 00:42:17.829 need, if there's not a right relationship between 00:42:17.829 --> 00:42:24.130 you and God, if you're on the wrong side of this 00:42:24.130 --> 00:42:30.349 equation, you do not belong to Him who will reign, 00:42:31.170 --> 00:42:33.389 but you belong to Him who will be destroyed. 00:42:34.789 --> 00:42:37.929 Will you tonight change your allegiance? Will 00:42:37.929 --> 00:42:41.360 you turn? to Jesus Christ in faith and trust 00:42:41.360 --> 00:42:45.800 Him. If I or one of our staff, one of our elders, 00:42:45.920 --> 00:42:48.679 can talk with you afterward or even sometime 00:42:48.679 --> 00:42:51.579 this week, please do not hesitate to talk to 00:42:51.579 --> 00:42:55.380 us. Would you stand with me please as we close 00:42:55.380 --> 00:42:59.199 in prayer? And now, Father, dismiss us, I pray, 00:42:59.219 --> 00:43:02.780 with the joy of the knowledge that we have from 00:43:02.780 --> 00:43:06.739 your Word. May the assurance that you are in 00:43:06.739 --> 00:43:11.809 control, even in these times, especially in these 00:43:11.809 --> 00:43:15.590 times, fill us with great hope and anticipation. 00:43:16.949 --> 00:43:19.489 Lord, I pray that you will help us to read the 00:43:19.489 --> 00:43:25.829 newspaper and listen to the news in light of 00:43:25.829 --> 00:43:30.809 the Word of God. Keep us from jumping to conclusions 00:43:30.809 --> 00:43:33.489 that are unwarranted, but Lord, may we be wise 00:43:33.489 --> 00:43:36.269 and understand the days in which we have been 00:43:36.269 --> 00:43:40.849 chosen to live. And may we be faithful to be 00:43:40.849 --> 00:43:45.050 the saints of the Most High in our day and represent 00:43:45.050 --> 00:43:48.809 you well and declare your gospel to a world that 00:43:48.809 --> 00:43:53.929 is headed for judgment. In Jesus' name, amen. 00:43:55.210 --> 00:43:55.730 Good night.