SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 READINGS...Daniel 7:1-8:27 & 5:1-31
In today’s reading we are given two visions from Daniel. These are given in chapters 7 & 8. The fulfillment of the prophecies from these visions are not the same…one was in the distant future, and the other was in the immediate future. Both speak of real kingdoms, and real events that would take place…and I would encourage the reader not to spiritualize either one.
The first vision of Daniel, and its explanation is found in chapter 7. This vision that is given to Daniel correlates with the vision of the multi-metallic image given to Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 2. The two visions are saying the same things, they speak of the empires of the world until the end of the time of the Gentiles…starting with Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar), Medo-Persian, Greek, Rome, and then the last kingdom of the “ten toes” of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision and the ten kings of Daniel’s vision. While Nebuchadnezzar’s vision was given around a multi-metallic image, Daniel’s is given around different beasts…a lion (Babylon), a bear (Medo-Persian), leopard (Greek), the terrible beast which the ten comes out of (Rome & the last world system). The emphasis of Daniel’s vision is clearly the ten horns and a little horn the comes out of the ten, and removes three prominent horns. Horns speak of power, John tells us in Revelation these represent ten kings. The little horn gains great power…this little horn I believe to be the coming Anti-Christ, who gains power. He is described as pompous and blasphemous. He will make war with the people of God, and at the end of his time on the earth, Jesus will return and destroy him and his kingdom…and establish His everlasting Kingdom. Are you ready? The only way is to trust in Jesus only as your Savior and Lord.
The second vision given to Daniel in chapter 8 is about the rise of the Medo-Persian empire (the Ram) at the fall of Babylon, followed by the quick rise of the Greek empire (the male Goat). There is no question who Daniel is referring to with these two images, for he gives us the interpretation. The horn of the male Goat was broken (killed), this is Alexander the Great. His power was given to four horns (his four generals divided the once unified kingdom). From one of these kingdoms comes a little horn. This little horn is seen as a dual reference in prophecy. One reference is to Antiochus Epiphanes who went into the Temple and defiled the Temple that later had to be cleansed by the Maccabees (Hanukkah). This was the fore-runner of the Anti-Christ to come that Jesus warned about in Matthew 24…who will also defile the Temple during the time of great tribulation. Our reading closes with history, describing for us the fallen of Babylon. The grandson of Nebuchadnezzar was throwing a drunken party, and decided to use the implements that his grandfather had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. While they were doing this a hand appeared, they became stone-cold sober as the hand wrote on the wall of the room. Daniel was brought in and offered a high position is he would interpret the writing. He refused the offer, but told Belshazzar what it said. The king and the nation had been weighed in the balances of God, and had been found wanting. So, the kingdom would now be handed over to the Medes and Persians. That very night Babylon was defeated and we enter a time when the Medes and Persians ruled the known world.
Please share your thoughts from today’s readings. I hope I was able to give you an understandable overview of all the literal events that would happen from the imagery of Daniel’s visions. Know this God will do what He has said He will do. He did so in the days of these ancient kings and kingdoms. And He will do so in our day, and in the coming days of Anti-Christ.
TOMORROW’S READINGS…Daniel 6:1-28 & 9:1-27 & 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 & Ezra 1:1-11 & 1 Chronicles 3:17-19a
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