Daniel 7: 15-28
Daniel has dreamed a vision, and it was a very involved and complicated revelation that he wrote down as soon as he woke up from it.
(15) "As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me.
While he was still in the dream, he was extremely upset by what he was shown.
(16) "I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:
So he turned to one of those who were standing by and asked for an explanation of what it was all supposed to be about. And he got the answer.
(17)'These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the Earth.
(18) 'But the saints of the Highest One will receive the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom forever, for all ages to come.'
The angel summarized the whole dream very succinctly. He didn't waste any words.
(19) "Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet,
(20) "and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates.
Daniel asked specifically about that strange and frightening fourth beast, and the details concerning its horns that acted so strangely.
(21) "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them
He just couldn't understand how some human person would be allowed to war against and overpower God's own saints! This was extremely distressing.
(22) "until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the Kingdom.
And then the divine judgments and reapportionment of the power ...
(23)"Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the Earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole Earth and tread it down and crush it.
The angel answers his question, this fourth kingdom will be unlike any other, its government will be run differently from how governing has always been done before, it will be new. But its influence will extend into the whole world and undue and destroy the ancient traditions of all the nations.
(24) 'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise, and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.
Out of this worldly cultural influence will come a confederation of ten powers. After the confederation of these ten, some inconsequential upstart comes on the scene, and maneuvers to obtain so much political power that he takes over three of these kings, and the rest of them are forced to go along with him.
(25) 'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.
This sounds like the "antichrist," the "man of sin," the "beast," "that Wicked [one]," who is described in I John 2: 18, 22; II Thessalonians 2: 1-12; and Revelation 13: 1-18.
We learn here that he will speak out against the Most High, which is "anti-Christ," against our Lord Jesus Christ. He will wear down the people of God, the people who want to do right; he will whittle them down little by little with constant wearing, like wearing out a pair of shoes, over time.
And he will try to change the way we measure time itself, and our very concept of the purpose of law.
(26) 'But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.
When he faces judgment, all his power will be stripped from him, and done away with permanently.
(27) 'Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole Heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His Kingdom will be an everlasting Kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.'
After that, then all the glory, all the riches, all the majesty and power of every king who ever reigned will be presented to the people who will live under the rule of the Resurrected saints of the Highest One, who is our Lord Jesus Christ, Messiah, Redeemer, sovereign King. And this eternal Kingdom will never end.
This is showing that we, as God's saints, will be sitting with King Jesus on His throne just as He sits with the Father on His throne! We are His children, His own family. So we have a lot to look forward to.
(28) "At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself."
This is the whole dream. He woke up at this point. He was still so upset and unsettled that he was physically affected. He may have even been ill for some days in his terror. He knew it was real, that's what made it so scary and frightening, because he knew it would really happen.
And we also can know that it will really happen. It may be starting to happen even now, today.
With the governments doing what they are doing and the environmental pollution and human disregard that has decimated the crops and forests and water supply; and now this plague, this pestilence that has become a pandemic over the whole world; it looks, to me, at least, like what the first four Seals and the first three Trumpets reveal in Revelation 6: 1-6; and 8: 7-11.
But we don't have to be afraid. Jesus said to not fear, because He is with us. Even when we see people falling all around us, God's wrath will not touch us, because the wrath we deserve was put on Jesus on the Cross.
Just as the Psalmist said, "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked" (Psalm 91: 7-8 KJV).
God has given us the whole story of Mankind, from before the beginning to after the end, in the 66 books of Scripture. It's all one story. And the Star of the Show is Jesus, the Lord God Almighty.
He created mankind to be His own children, to be the body of Christ to do His work in all the Universes He wants to build in all of future eternity. So He is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance, and admit they are the criminals who deserve execution, and let Jesus take their death on the Cross as the Lamb of God (II Peter: 3: 9).
O my Father, You are so good! And You are so good to us! You want to lavish Your bountiful blessings on us, even more than we can hold! Your Love is unconditional, because You love what You made, especially us, as the pinnacle of Your Creation! Your own children!
O Father, please send us out, to broadcast Your Word to every nation of the world, that all who are seeking You will hear of Your Love and be able to turn to You through Your Son. Draw all of Your embryonic children to the birth into Your family, Father, and use our hands and feet to do your work. Fill Your great House with Your uncountable family, to surround Your great Banquet Table, having sweet fellowship with You and one another for all eternity!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
